


Rejected Bonds

by twztdwildcat



Series: Wibbly Wobbly Bond [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Lots of Angst, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 20:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8768497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twztdwildcat/pseuds/twztdwildcat
Summary: Hermione hasn’t seen the Doctor in almost seven years, until an attack at work sends her back in time and into the arms of Jack Harkness. Soon joining up with the Doctor and Rose, Hermione realizes the Doctor is denying their bond in favor of her cousin. Sequel to No More Running, with major episode spoilers.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N This story will be 10 chapters long, updates will be posted on Mondays and Thursdays. Thanks to k-lynne317 for her encouragement, name suggestions, and edits! Also thanks to ShayaLonnie for letting me run with the idea of a timeturner/portkey combo. If you haven’t read Debt of Time you should do so! It’s long but so worth it!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: None

Rejected Bonds - Prologue

[1999 London]

After the war’s end, Hermione went back to finish her last year of schooling at Hogwarts and sit her N.E.W.Ts. She was uncomfortable accepting the honorary exam results, unlike Harry and Ron who had jumped at the opportunity. They were eager for the chance to go into Auror training right away, while Hermione wanted a peaceful year and to finish her studies properly. She had no idea that she was being scouted by a specific department of the Ministry until just before graduation, after exams but before the results had been released.

The head of the Department of Mysteries himself had sent Hermione an invitation for an interview, and intrigued she went to find out what it was all about. She was shocked to find that she was being recruited as an Unspeakable, partly due to her amazing and record-breaking exam results, but also because of her extensive history with time travel. While she tried to deny having any experience with the subject other than her third year, the head of the department, Mr. Bleddyn Rhydderch informed her that they were aware of some of her travels through history, and even travels she had not partaken of yet. This surprised her and she found it hard to deny when a file was slid across the desk, filled with parchments detailing some of her adventures. The future ones were in a sealed part of the folder, so she couldn’t take a peek at what she hadn’t done yet.

More startling even than finding out that her travels were known by a secret part of the Ministry, was the realization that the Unspeakables at the very least knew of the Doctor. Mr. Rhydderch assured her that it was not only her connection to the time traveling alien that had sparked their interest in her, but that it certainly didn’t hurt that she had a much better grasp of time travel due to her relationship with the man. There were no allusions made to the nature of the relationship, and for that Hermione was grateful. She felt conflicted enough knowing so much of her comings and goings had been tracked. After they discussed the details of the job, pay, etc, Hermione went back to school to finish out the last few classes of term and consider their offer. What she really wanted was to discuss the offer with the Doctor, but she hadn’t seen him since her 19th birthday at the start of the school year.

She knew that it wasn’t unusual to go months without seeing her Doctor, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him terribly at times.

In the end, Hermione accepted the job offer. Time travel intrigued her, the DoM was, well mysterious, and she would feel connected to the Doctor through her work, even if she didn’t see him as often as she would like. Little did she know just how long she would have to wait to see her time traveling lover.

 

[2005 London]

Unspeakable Hermione Granger was known for working long hours. What her work entailed, none of her friends knew exactly. All she would tell them was that she worked in the Time Division of the Department of Mysteries. When asked what she did she simply said, “Research” and left it at that.

Hermione was relieved to be inside the cool interior of the Ministry after her brisk walk back from lunch in the muggy heat of London in August. The city had been a pain to navigate with all of the increased security following the destruction of Big Ben and Downing Street earlier in the year.

She hadn’t particularly wanted to take a lunch break, but she was desperate to get away from her colleague. Karina Shafiq was intelligent, beautiful, and charming. She was also bitter and jaded after Hermione had turned down her request for a date. As Hermione had kindly explained to Karina, it wasn’t that she didn’t find the woman attractive, or that she was even opposed to a relationship with a female - while she’d never had one she wouldn’t discount the idea completely, and while she did find herself more attracted to men who knows what could happen - it was just that she didn’t find herself interested in the idea of any relationships.

Although she wouldn’t admit it to anyone, she was secretly heartbroken over not having seen or heard from the Doctor in nearly seven years. She hadn’t gone this long without seeing him since she’d met him. In fact, her first meeting was at the age of 8, with the second being during her third year when she was 14. Those six years weren’t nearly as painful as the current seven years of silence because she had been young and didn’t know the man yet. She wasn’t in love with him yet. Now, however, it was devastating to think that perhaps he didn’t want anything to do with her anymore, or even worse, that something terrible had happened to him and she had no way of knowing.

She shoved these maudlin thoughts away as the lift descended down to the Department of Mysteries. As much as she would like to avoid Karina, they were close to a breakthrough on their T.A.R.D.I.S-turner. The name, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space Turner, was a bit of a secret joke between herself and her department head, Mr. Rhydderch. As head, he was the only one in the department, indeed the entire Ministry with the exception of the Minister himself, who knew of her past with the Doctor and the name of his ship. While she and Karina had been thrilled a few years ago to manage to recreate the time turners that had been destroyed in Hermione’s fifth year, they were always trying to push the boundaries of time travel and discover new things.

They had been working on expanding the time turners capabilities, so that instead of being able to go back a maximum of three hours, there would be no such limitation. Theoretically, they were sure they could send a person back to any point in time now, but the most they had tested was a week. The rules of magical time travel still applied and they had to remain unseen and not change anything. The catch being they had to relive that time to catch up to the time they had started from. So while theoretically, they could travel back to ancient Egypt, they would be unable to return to modern times, or even live long enough to see them.

Similar to the lack of limitation on the time element, they had been working on utilizing the turner as a portkey as a secondary function. But instead of the standard distance limitations of even an international portkey, they were looking to make an unlimited version. The goal was to be able to do something like travel a week in the past to Sydney from London with just a few spins and one spell. Hermione was secretly hoping it would at least theoretically be possible to even travel as far as the Moon. Her arithmancy checked out, but she wasn’t about to bring up the idea with Karina just yet.

The plan was that once they had successfully turned the modified time turner into a portkey as well, they could begin working on a way to successfully return a person to their original time. But today they were going to be applying the unlimited portkey distance spell they had developed.

Once back in her shared office, she hung up her outer robes and went over to the bench where Karina was running through some last minute calculations on their spell. They did not make idle chit chat, or indeed any unnecessary exchanges of any kind. Nodding at each other that they were ready, both witches pointed their wands at the T.A.R.D.I.S-turner in its stand, made complicated motions in unison, and chanted together, “Portus spatium immoderatus!” The device glowed a brilliant bright blue, like any active portkey, and they sighed in relief. It seemed to have been a success! Now to test it out.

They had previously agreed that Hermione would be the one to test out the device if it seemed their spell had been a success. While turning the device and adjusting the rings around it would control how far back in time a person was sent, the location of the portkey would be controlled by the individual, much like in apparition. The subject would have to keep their destination firmly in mind as they activated the turner. The plan was to go to Hogsmeade, one hour in the past. The pair considered this a safe distance and time frame, but the test was mainly to see if the two functions were combined successfully.

Hermione stepped away from the bench and put the chain of the T.A.R.D.I.S-turner around her neck. Looking up at Karina with a smile she was shocked to see a hateful sneer on the other witch’s face and a wand pointed at her.

“Karina, what’s going on?”

“I’m tired of you lording it over me that I’m not good enough for you. If anything, you’re not good enough for me, filthy mudblood!” Hermione gasped in shock and hurt. She hadn’t realized Karina was so upset over being turned down.

“I know how to recreate the time turner, and once you disappear I can just make another and take all the credit for myself. The Brightest Witch of the Age will be gone, but her tragic sacrifice will have inspired me to continue her work and succeed where she failed,” Karina sneered at Hermione, speaking of her as if she was already gone. Hermione’s blood ran cold as she gripped the turner tightly. Maybe if she were able to turn it and escape quickly enough she could go back and stop Karina from whatever she was about to do.

As Hermione nimbly turned the hourglass over the first time, Karina shouted “Reducto!” The spell hit the T.A.R.D.I.S-turner and it fell out of Hermione’s grasp, spinning wildly as the glass started to crack. She could see time starting to warp around her just as Karina shouted another spell at her, but in the blur of motion and sound she couldn’t make out what it was.

The next thing she knew, the spinning and blurring stopped, but she didn’t recognize where she was. Suddenly the sensation of falling rapidly filled her with panic and she realized she was high up in the air, falling straight down towards what looked like the top of Big Ben. She screamed wildly, unable to pull her wand out of her pocket as she was buffeted by the wind of her descent, and in her panic she couldn’t concentrate on apparating safely to the ground. All at once a bright light surrounded her and she knew she must be dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[1941 London]

Captain Jack Harkness was sitting at the controls of his commandeered Chula warship performing some regular maintenance with the computer when it alerted him, “Warning, falling object. Descent trajectory predicts impact in 30 seconds.”

“What? There’re no planes, it’s not the Germans, is it? A bomb?” He took off his hat to look out the windows, not seeing any signs of an air raid.

“Negative, object appears to be humanoid. Impact in 20 seconds.”

“Activate tractor beam and lock onto the target.”

As the lightbeam surrounded the falling person, Jack turned on the intercoms. “Hello there! Don’t worry, you’re safe. Just give me a moment to calculate your descent trajectory and I’ll get you aboard.”

Hermione was unable to respond due to her heart beating furiously in her chest. She kept her eyes shut tight after glimpsing how far up from the ground she still was, floating mid-air amid the beam of light once her eyes had adjusted. So I’m not dead. That’s good I suppose, she thought to herself, trying to calm her racing heart. She stayed absolutely still, eyes shut so tight she couldn’t make out the light of the tractor beam anymore.

Suddenly she was enveloped in arms as her knees gave out, realizing she was standing on a solid surface once more. Gasping she opened her eyes and looked into the sparkling blue eyes and handsome face of her rescuer. “Hi. Thanks for saving me. But I’m going to throw up now so pardon me.” True to her word she promptly leaned over heaving. In a rush of movement, a bin was placed below her as her lunch made a sudden reappearance. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem. Teleports can do that to people. Are you okay? What were you doing up in the sky? Did you fall from a plane or something?”

She ignored most of his questions, still a bit dazed. “You’re American? Wait is this a spaceship? When are we?”

“Yes, American, and yes this is a spaceship. I take it you’re not from around now then?” he raised an eyebrow at her curiously.

“Well that depends on when now is…” she trailed off questioningly.

“1941, London to be precise.”

“Oh, bugger.”

He chuckled at her response and eased her into a sitting position on the bunk, in case she passed out. “All in all you’re reacting better than I would have thought to the teleport, most people are disorientated and confused.”

“I’ve teleported before. Frequently actually,” as she thought of apparating. “I was sick because I’m not good with heights, so plummeting to the ground like that did a number on my stomach.”

“Understandable. How did you get up there?”

Evading a direct answer, “Teleport accident. When are you from?”

“I’m from the 51st century. Used to be a time agent,” he said with a smirky grin.

“Used to? If you’re not an agent anymore how are you in 1941?”

“That’s a long story for another time.” He noticed her sagging and helped her lay out on the bunk, tucking her a piece of curly hair back from her face. As her eyes drifted shut he admired her curls, the long lashes, and her smattering of freckles. She was really quite pretty, he thought.

As she slept, he ran computer scans on her, determining she was from the early 21st century judging by her clothing. She also carried a wooden stick that emitted an unknown energy signature, and a small beaded bag he was unable to open or scan. The stick reminded him of stories he’d heard as a child, of magical people able to wield amazing powers through sticks called wands, but he thought the stories were just a myth. Supposedly they had their own planet in his time, but no one knew for sure where it was or if it was real.

A couple of hours later, Hermione stirred awake. Her rescuer, the erstwhile former time agent, was sitting on the bunk next to her, playing with one of her curls. Normally she would have been annoyed with his familiarity but she felt calm, and not just from the loss of adrenaline from her system. He smelled of sandalwood, wool, musk, and citrus. For some reason, his presence and scent soothed her ragged nerves. He helped her scoot up next to him into a sitting position.

“Thank you again for saving my life. I didn’t catch your name earlier. I’m Hermione Granger, by the way,” she said, holding out a hand to shake.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger,” he said with a cocky smile, kissing her hand instead of shaking it, and then holding it gently between his own hands. “My name is Captain Jack Harkness.”

“Is that your real name?”

He laughed joyously, “Oh you’re good. Cheeky, but good. It’s not my original name no, but it’s what I go by here, now. I like it.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Captain Jack Harkness,” she smirked at him.

Since he was from so far in the future originally, she didn’t think the Statute of Secrecy really applied to him so she told him how she wound up in his tractor beam. Jack was astonished to learn that magicals were indeed real, and told her of the rumors and stories he had heard as a boy. It amazed her to think of magicals existing so far in the future, hidden away on their own planet, still hiding from the rest of humanity. Some things apparently never change, she thought.

She explained to him her predicament. Her time turner was cracked, and while she may be able to repair it, she couldn’t exactly march into the current Ministry of Magic and ask for assistance. Her work was classified and only her own department head and colleague - traitorous bitch that she was - knew what she was working on. Not to mention time turners hadn’t even been invented yet! Not for four more years. Since she had to try and stay hidden from her fellow magicals, and stay out events happening, namely the war with Grindelwald, she was on her own.

Jack explained that he had a vortex manipulator, but it wasn’t always dependable to get you to exactly when and where you wanted to go. He explained he was working a con, to which she frowned disapprovingly but said nothing. She agreed to help him complete the con and then he would attempt to return her to 2005. It wasn’t like she had any better offers and despite being a conman, she could tell Jack was a good person. He had parked the Chula ambulance he was using in a disused railway station and in just two weeks a bomb would be landing on that spot anyways and destroying the evidence. She couldn’t fault his logic, really, and maybe if he contacted other time agents they would agree to help return her to her proper time. When she went to shake on their deal she was startled when he pulled her into a quick but fierce kiss instead. Scowling at him, he just laughed and winked at her.


	2. The Empty Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Today has been insane, but here’s the promised chapter! Enjoy! Next chapter will be on Monday. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: The Empty Child S1E9

Rejected Bonds - Chapter 1, The Empty Child 

 

[Two Weeks Later]

Hermione sat on the bunk of Jack’s Chula warship reading a book from her beaded bag. He was out schmoozing and whatnot and since it was an officer’s club she couldn’t tag along this time. Which was unfortunate because before he’d left she’d been admiring the way he filled out his uniform. She’d been in 1941 for two weeks now, and couldn’t help but admit that her fellow time traveler was easy on the eyes. His strong jaw, sparkling blue eyes and neatly trimmed brown hair were only further accented by his military uniform. He hadn’t kissed her again since that first night, at least not on the lips. Frequent kisses to the cheeks, temples, hands, and the top of her head were not uncommon, or even unwanted. She was lonely and had fast become good friends with Jack. 

She was startled out of her musings when he suddenly appeared and rushed to the controls. “Jack! What’s going on? I heard the sirens for the air raid but why’d you come back?”

“Hey sweetheart, there’s a blonde hanging from a barrage balloon, I figured I’d save her.”

“Oh, well, okay then,” Hermione chuckled, not what she’d been expecting. 

“Now, uh oh, she’s falling!” He worked quickly at the controls and soon had the blonde woman caught in the tractor beam, much like he’d caught Hermione two weeks previously. “What is it with pretty girls falling from the sky around me?” he asked over his shoulder, winking at the witch. Hermione just rolled her eyes and sat back to watch. 

“Okay, okay, I've got you,” he announced over the intercom. 

“Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know, how?” 

“I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field.”

“Descent pattern?”

“Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone? No, seriously, it interferes with my instruments.”

“You know, no one ever believes that.” Hermione could hear the annoyance in the girl’s voice which she thought it sounded familiar but didn’t think much about it. 

“Thank you. That's much better.” 

“Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey, my mobile phone's off.” 

“Be with you in a moment.”

The computer reported to Jack, “The mobile communication device indicates non-contemporaneous life form.”

“She's not from around here, no,” he commented, then keying the intercom once more he told the girl, “Hold tight!”

“To what?”

“Fair point.” Hermione just chuckled to herself. 

“I've got you. You're fine, you're just fine,” he reassured the girl as he caught her from the beam inside the ship. “The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little,” he explained, glancing over at Hermione as she quirked an eyebrow at him. She slid off the bunk and off the side in case the girl needed to lay down. 

“Hello,” the dazed blonde mumbled. 

“Hello,” he replied with a smile. Hermione bit her lip, smiling at his ever present need to flirt. 

“Hello. Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough.”

“Are you alright?”

“Fine,” she replied as he set her down. “Why, are you expecting me to faint or something?”

“You look a little dizzy,” he commented. 

“What about you? You're not even in focus,” she slurred as she fainted into his arms. He put her in the bunk and Hermione moved closer to get a look at their new guest. She gasped when she recognized the girl. 

“Rose?!”

“You know her?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Yes, she’s my cousin.”

“Is this going to be a happy family reunion or not so much?”

“Probably not so much,” she admitted with a grimace. “We don’t get along all that well, unfortunately. She’s my cousin through my mum’s brother, and I’m seven years older than her so we were never really close. She doesn’t know about magic,” she warned Jack. “So let’s try to keep that to ourselves?” 

He nodded his agreement. “Any idea what she’s doing in 1941?”

Hermione’s eyes widened when she realized what this meant, “Yes! That means the Doctor must be nearby!”

Jack’s eyebrows rose, “You mean the soulmate you were telling me about? He travels around with your cousin?”

“Well, kind of. If he’s traveling with her it means he probably doesn’t know me yet,” she admitted, a sad look crossing her features. 

Jack pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, time travel is tricky like that.”

Hermione nodded and gave him a half-hearted smile. “So how are we going to play this Mr. Conman?” 

“You don’t want to just tell them the truth and see if he’ll take you back to your time?”

Thinking it over carefully, she shook her head, “No, no I doubt he’d know me yet, and I haven’t seen Rose in nearly a decade. I really only know her from pictures her mum sent my mum, you know, before…” she trailed off, not wanting to think of her obliviated parents, “So she probably won’t recognize me either. For now, just play out your con like you planned, and we’ll see if they do know me or not yet.”

Jack nodded in agreement, “Okay, we’ll play it by ear. You’ll play the part of my partner.” She just smirked at him and he grinned back. He’d gotten to know Hermione pretty well over the last couple weeks and he was looking forward to meeting the Doctor, she’d talked so highly of him. Although the fact that he might not know her yet was a complication, and he hoped Hermione wouldn’t be too hurt. 

Not long after, Rose began to stir, so Jack asked her, “Better now?”

Nodding to herself, she inquired, “You got lights in here?”

He turned on the lights and turned to her, “Hello.” 

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

Hermione scoffed from the wall she was leaned against, “Let's not start that again.”

Rose startled a bit, not having seen the woman beforehand. “So, who're you supposed to be, then?” she asked, looking between the two. 

“Captain Jack Harkness, One Three Three Squadron, Royal Air Force. American volunteer. This is my co-pilot, Mia.” Hermione tried not to grimace at the nickname. She hated nicknames. She didn’t mind Mione too much since Ron and Harry had use it so often, but she figured that Rose might recognize that name, so Mia it would be for now. 

Rose smirked at Jack, reading his ID, “Liar. This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me.”

“How do you know?”

“Two things. One, I have a friend who uses this all the time, and two, you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out,” she said smugly. 

Jack grinned, “Tricky thing, psychic paper.”

“Yeah. Can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over,” she smirked as she handed it back. 

Looking at it, he smirked back, “True, oh, it says here you sort of have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy-free.” Hermione scowled at that. She may not have seen Mickey in a really long time, but her first friend didn’t deserve to be played, she fumed at her cousin silently. 

“What?” Rose asked. 

“Actually, the word you use is available.”

Eyes widening, Rose stammered, “N-no way.”

“And another one, very,” he smirked at her deviously, catching sight of Hermione’s frown. He made a mental note to ask about that later. 

“Shall we try and get along without the psychic paper?” Rose rushed, slightly embarrassed. 

“That would be better, wouldn't it?”

“Nice spaceship,” Rose commented, looking over at Hermione. 

“Gets us around,” the curly-haired witch commented. 

Standing and turning to survey the area, Rose touched a cable and looked back at Jack, “Very Spock.”

“Who?” he looked puzzled. 

“Guessing you're not a local boy, then.”

Jack scanned Rose and rattled off, “A cell phone, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades. Guessing you're not a local girl.”

Smiling, Rose quipped, “Guessing right.” She hissed as she leaned against the control panel to look out the windows and looked down at her hands. 

“Burn your hands on the rope?” asked Jack, looking over at Hermione to see if she wanted to use a healing spell or if they should go the more techno route. At her slight head shake, he asked to see Rose’s hands. 

“Why?”

Putting on an adorable pout, Jack reached for her hands. “Please? You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away,” he lied, knowing exactly who she was thanks to Hermione. 

“Time Agent?”

“We've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?”

“Sometimes I get swept off my feet. By balloons. What are you doing?” Hermione rolled her eyes at Rose’s attempts at flirting and went to the bunk to sit and pretend to read her book once more. She watched over the top of the book as Jack pressed a button and a glow surrounded Rose’s rope burnt hands. 

“Nanogenes,” he explained, “Sub-atomic robots. The air in here is full of them. They just repaired three layers of your skin.”

As Rose admired her newly healed hands she smiled at him, “Well, tell them thanks.”

“Shall we get down to business?”

“Business?”

Reaching for a bottle of champagne and two glasses, he handed Rose the glasses as he ascended a ladder, he gave a quick wink to Hermione who smiled at him, “Shall we have a drink on the balcony? Bring up the glasses.”

Rose stepped carefully onto the invisible hull of the ship, “I know I'm standing on something.”

With a click of his remote, the ship became visible to only them. 

Impressed, Rose noted, “Okay, you have an invisible spaceship. Tethered up to Big Ben for some reason.”

With a cocky smirk, Jack opened the bottle of champagne with a pop, “First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember.”

After a couple glasses of the drink, the alcohol was starting to get to her head, so Rose stood up and wobbled a bit, “You know, it's getting a bit late. I should really be getting back.”

“We're discussing business,” Jack said, still relaxed against the hull. 

“This isn't business. This is champagne.”

Standing and setting down his glass, he walked over to her. “I try never to discuss business with a clear head. Are you traveling alone? Are you authorized to negotiate with me?” As he spoke he grabbed her by the arms and brought her near. 

“What would we be negotiating?” Rose was a bit distracted by his nearness. 

Jack then laid the bait for his con. “I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?”

“Well, I, I should talk to my companion.”

“Companion?” he asked with a sexy quirk of his eyebrow. 

“I should really be getting back to him.”

“Him?”

“Do you have the time?”

Jack pulled out his remote once again, pushed the button and pointed it at Big Ben, which lit up and struck nine thirty. 

“Okay, that was flash. That was on the flash side.”

“So when you say your companion, just how disappointed should I be?” he purred seductively. 

“Okay, we're standing in midair.”

“Mmm-hmm,” he hummed, pulling her against him. 

“On a spaceship, during a German air raid. Do you really think now's a good time to be coming on to me?” 

Hermione, listening from below using a sensory charm was giggling at his flirtations and showing off. 

“Perhaps not,” he sighed, backing away. 

Rose pouted at the loss of contact, “It was just a suggestion.”

Trying again, he asked, “Do you like Glenn Miller?” He used his remote again and Moonlight Serenade began playing from below. Taking Rose in his arms he started swaying in time to the music. “It's 1941, the height of the London Blitz, the height of the German bombing campaign, and something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is because I parked it. If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Now, shall we discuss payment?”

Pulling back, he looked at Rose and saw she was dazed, slightly aroused, and not at all paying attention. 

“Do you know what I think?” she said rather breathily. 

“What?”

“I think you were talking just then,” she leaned into him more. 

“Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater.”

“Promises, promises,” she glanced at his lips. 

“Are you listening to any of this?”

“You used to be a Time Agent, now you're some kind of freelancer.”

Stepping away a bit, Jack scoffed with a smirk, “Well, that's a little harsh. I like to think of myself as a criminal.” 

“I bet you do.”

From the tone of her cousin’s voice, Hermione was sure Rose was making moon eyes at Jack. She was steadily growing more and more irritated with her flirty cousin. 

“So, this companion of yours, does he handle the business?” Jack inquired, stepping away from Rose completely. 

“Well, I delegate a lot of that, yeah,” she lied. 

“Well, maybe we should go find him.”

“And how're you going to do that?”

“Easy. I'll do a scan for alien tech,” he answered, looking at his wrist device. 

Off to the side, Rose smiled in triumph, “Finally, a professional.”

“It looks like he’s at Albion Hospital, I’ll go grab Mia and we can all teleport over.” 

Rose looked disappointed to hear that the other woman would be joining them. 

 

[Albion Hospital]

The trio arrived at the hospital and were walking down a corridor when a tall man with big ears and very short hair stepped out of a set of double doors. Judging from his appearance Jack took an educated guess and held his hand out to introduce himself to the Doctor, “Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over.”

Rose gave the Doctor a look, “He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents.”

“And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Spock,” Jack said, walking towards the ward doors. 

Hermione held out her hand in turn, “Mia, nice to meet you, sir.” As they shook hands both felt a tiny jolt. The Doctor raised an eyebrow but soon dismissed the sensation as only static shock. Hermione felt a jolt in her chest, knowing her soulmate didn’t know her. It hurt. 

The Doctor nodded in greeting at Hermione, then asked Rose, “Mister Spock?”

Rose waited till Hermione stepped into the ward as well and complained, “What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?”

“Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll.”

“Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid,” Rose scoffed and turned towards the ward doors. 

“What?!”

“Listen, what's a Chula warship?” she asked as she joined the others in the ward. 

Left behind, the Doctor asked with no one to hear, “Chula?”

Inside the ward, Jack was going from one patient to another, scanning them with his vortex manipulator, which also had a built-in computer. “This just isn't possible. How did this happen?”

Hermione was following him, surreptitiously casting diagnostic charms only visible to herself, just as mystified at the results as Jack. Somehow, all of these people were dead, with identical wounds and gas masks that weren’t molded to their faces but were their faces. 

The Doctor crossed his arms, looking at Jack he asked, “What kind of Chula ship landed here?”

“What?” Jack asked, spinning around to face the Doctor. 

Rose looked irritatingly smug, “He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer.”

“What kind of warship?” the Doctor asked again, frowning. 

“Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this.” Jack was starting to look alarmed so Hermione took his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?”

Exasperated and baffled, Jack confessed, “An ambulance! Look,” showing them a hologram from his wrist device. “That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait-”

“Bait?” Rose interrupted. 

“I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk,” Jack cried, running a hand through his hair. 

Rose looked at him accusingly, “You said it was a warship.”

Jack frowned at her and decided to come partly clean, “They have ambulances in wars. It was a con. I was conning you. That's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents. You're not, are you.”

“Just a couple more freelancers,” Rose said bitingly. 

“Oh. Should have known. The way you guys are blending in with the local colour. I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?” he scoffed, gesturing to the Doctor’s leather jacket. “Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship.”

Hermione turned to the Doctor and asked softly, “What is happening here, Doctor?” Immediately she realized that the Doctor hadn’t been introduced by that name yet, but no one seemed to notice the slip-up. 

“Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot.”

“What do you mean?” Rose asked, alarmed. 

“I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?”

Suddenly all of the patients in the ward sat up and turned to the group. “Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?”

Rose looked panicked and went to stand behind the Doctor, “What's happening?”

“I don't know,” the Doctor almost whispered, looking alarmed himself. 

The patients all stood up at started to slowly walk to the group, all repeated the same thing, “Mummy.”

Shuffling backward towards a wall, the Doctor told the others, “Don't let them touch you.”

Rose grabbed the back of his jacket, “What happens if they touch us?”

“You're looking at it,” he nodded to all of the gas mask people. 

As the horde of patients closed in, the group stepped back as far as they could. Hermione drew her wand. To hell with hiding her magic from the Doctor and Rose. But what would stop people who weren’t technically alive? Could they be saved? Would injuring them help or hinder the situation, her thoughts raced. 

“Help me, mummy.”

As chills raced down the spines of the Doctor and the group behind him, the patients just pleadingly asked, “Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”


	3. The Doctor Dances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Posting this a bit early, but I’m anticipating a crazy day so I’d rather get it up for people to enjoy earlier rather than later.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: The Doctor Dances S1E10

Rejected Bonds - Chapter 2, The Doctor Dances

 

  
As the horde of gas mask patients drew nearer, the Doctor took a bold step forward, stood tall, and sternly faced them. “Go to your room.” As all of the patients stood still, he continued, “Go to your room. I mean it. I’m very, very angry with you. I am very, very cross. Go to your room!” The patients all hung their heads in shame and shuffled back to their beds. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, the Doctor turned to Rose, Jack, and Hermione, “I’m really glad that worked. Those would have been terrible last words.”

  
Stepping near a bed, but careful not to get too close, Rose asked to no one in particular, “Why are they all wearing gas masks?”

  
Jack was quick to respond, “They're not. Those masks are flesh and bone.”

  
Rose looked horrified and Hermione hugged herself.

  
The Doctor turned to Jack, “How was your con supposed to work?”  
  
“Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put fifty percent up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con.”

  
The Doctor scoffed, “Yeah. Perfect.”  
  
“The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it, though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day,” Jack laughed. Even Hermione sent him an exasperated look. He wasn’t aware, but he’d been through volcano day and it hadn’t been remotely amusing. “Getting a hint of disapproval.”

  
Getting angry, the Doctor gestured around, “Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did.”  
  
“It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty,” Jack defended.

  
The Doctor explained to Rose that they were going upstairs while Jack continued to defend his actions, “I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it.”

  
The Doctor turned to look at him and sneered, “I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day.”

  
As the all clear siren sounded outside, signaling the end of the air raid, the group left the ward.  
The Doctor stalked off up the stairs, Hermione at his heels, following silently. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes several times, trying to figure out what her part in this con was supposed to be, but frankly had bigger concerns. Jack and Rose finally caught up to them outside of a secure metal door. The Doctor turned to Jack, eyes narrowed, “The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken.”

  
“What happened?” Hermione asked softly.

  
“Let's find out. Get it open,” he said to Jack, gesturing towards the locked door.

  
Rose looked askance at the Doctor, “What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?”

  
“Nothing,” he smiled.

As Jack’s blaster disintegrated the lock, the Doctor was able to identify it, and when in time Jack originally came from. “Sonic blaster, fifty-first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?”  
  
“You've been to the factories?”

  
“Once.”

  
“Well, they gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot.”

  
Smirking smugly, the Doctor expanded, “Like I said. Once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good.”

  
Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing both at the Doctor’s instance that weapons were bad, and Jack’s affronted look.

  
The group entered a room that looked to have been torn apart. Filing cabinets, electronics, everything had been overturned or destroyed, including a large observation window that looked into a room scattered with a child’s crayon drawings. The Doctor began fiddling with a recording device and turned his head towards Jack and Hermione, “What do you think?”  
  
Jack looked shocked at the scene, “Something got out of here.”

  
“Yeah. And?” The Doctor rolled his eyes.  
  
Hermione knelt down to examine the drawings, all of a female figure, “Something powerful. Angry.”  
  
“Powerful and angry,” the Doctor repeated.

  
Jack asked, “A child? I suppose this explains Mummy.”  
  
Looking at the devastation of the room, Rose wondered aloud, “How could a child do this?”

  
Finally getting the tape playing they listened to the recording of Doctor Constantine and the child.

  
“Do you know where you are?”  
“Are you my mummy?”  
“Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?”  
“Are you my mummy?”  
“What do you want? Do you know?”  
“I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?”

  
Rose’s eyes widened, “Doctor, I've heard this voice before.”

  
Nodding, “Me too.”

  
“Always are you my mummy? Like he doesn't know. Why doesn't he know?”

  
The recording continued playing in the background, the child always asking, “Are you there, mummy? Mummy?”

  
Rose and Hermione were looking at the Doctor who had a growing look of dread on his face. “Can you sense it?”  
  
“Sense what?” Jack asked.

  
“Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it? Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?”

  
Sighing, Rose looked at Jack, “When he's stressed, he likes to insult species.”

  
Hermione stayed silent, goosebumps lining her skin as she felt what the Doctor felt. Tingles of fear stop up and down her spine. Sliding her wand back into her hand as a precaution she edged towards Jack.

  
The Doctor gave Rose a glare, “Rose, I'm thinking.”  
  
Yet she continued, “He cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life forms he's cleverer than.”  
  
“There are these children living rough around the bomb sites. They come out during air-raids looking for food. Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?”  
  
“It was a med-ship. It was harmless,” Jack tried explaining once more.

  
“Yes, you keep saying harmless. Suppose one of them was affected, altered?”  
  
“Altered how?” Rose questioned.

  
No one seemed to notice the tape running out in the background, but Hermione was so alert her hair was starting to frizz with excess magic from her stress and fear.

  
“I'm here!”  
  
“It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room.”  
  
“Doctor.”  
  
“I'm here. Can't you see me?”  
  
“What's that noise?” Rose complained.

  
“End of the tape. It ran out about thirty seconds ago,” he noticed Hermione staring behind him, eyes wide, knuckles white around the stick she held.

  
“I'm here, now. Can't you see me?”  
  
The Doctor looked horrified, “I sent it to its room. This is its room.” He spun around and they all looked wide-eyed at the small child standing there, face obscured by a gas mask.  
  
“Are you my mummy? Mummy?”

  
Jack stepped forward, reaching into his jacket for his blaster, “Okay, on my signal make for the door.”  
  
“Mummy?”

  
“Now!” Jack shouted, pointing a banana at the child. Confused he stares at the banana as the Doctor pulled his blaster from his own belt and makes a huge square hole in the wall.

  
“Go now! Don't drop the banana!”

  
“Why not?!”  
  
“Good source of potassium!”

  
At that the combination of stress, fear, and sudden adrenaline caused Hermione to snort a giggle.

  
Jack reached for his blaster, “Give me that!”  
  
“Mummy. I want my mummy.”

  
Jack used his blaster to repair the hole in the wall, explaining, “Digital rewind. Nice switch.”  
  
The Doctor grinned, “It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate.”  
  
“There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?”  
  
“Bananas are good.”

  
There was a large bang on the wall they just came through and the plaster started to crack.

  
Rose was starting to panic, “Doctor!”  
  
“Come on!” They started down the hallway but patients were coming from each possible escape route.

  
“Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”  
  
“It's keeping us here till it can get at us.”

  
“It's controlling them?” Jack was waving his blaster back and forth but not firing. Hermione wasn’t waving her wand around but she was ready to fire spells if the patients came any closer.  
  
“It is them. It's every living thing in this hospital,” the Doctor explained.  
  
Accepting the situation, Jack was desperately thinking of a way out, “Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?”  
  
“I've got a sonic, er. Oh, never mind.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that.”

  
“Disrupter? Cannon? What?”  
  
“It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!”  
  
“A sonic what?!”  
  
“Screwdriver!”

  
As the child broke through the wall Rose grabbed Jack’s blaster and pointed it at the floor, “Going down!”

  
Jack quickly repaired the hole in the ceiling as he scrambled to his feet.

  
They soon realized this ward was filled with patients as well when they all sat up and started their chant of “Mummy. Mummy.” Racing to the nearest doors Jack tried to disintegrate the lock, but the blaster wouldn’t work. “Damn it! It's the special features. They really drain the battery.”

  
The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door and they all rushed into a storeroom.

  
Rose looked at Jack incredulously, “The battery? That's so lame!”  
  
“I was going to send for another one, but somebody's got to blow up the factory,” Jack glared at the Doctor.

  
Rose laughed, “Oh, I know. First day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates.”

  
Hermione rolled her eyes. This is not the time to be flirting!

  
The Doctor locked the door once more with his sonic screwdriver and turned to the others, “Okay, that door should hold it for a bit.”  
  
“The door? The wall didn't stop it!” Jack exclaimed.  
  
“Well, it's got to find us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!”

  
“Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves,” Jack retorted sarcastically.  
  
“Window,” the Doctor ran to check it out.  
  
“Barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories.”  
  
“And no other exits,” Rose noted.  
  
“Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?” Jack made a face, sitting down in a nearby chair.

  
While the others bickered Hermione subtly threw a quick colloportus and duro at the door to seal and strengthen it. Anything to give them more time.

  
The Doctor was fast becoming annoyed with Jack’s attitude and glared at Rose, “So, where'd you pick this one up, then?”  
  
“Doctor,” Rose warned, she didn’t like his tone.  
  
Jack smirked fondly, “She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance.”  
  
“Okay. One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?”  
  
Rose sighed, “Yeah. Jack just disappeared.”

  
Hermione glared at the spot Jack had previously occupied. Prat! Why did he leave me here!?

  
Rose grouched, “Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?”

  
The Doctor raised an eyebrow, “I'm making an effort not to be insulted.”  
  
“I mean, men.”  
  
“Okay, thanks, that really helped,” he replied sarcastically.

  
The radio crackled to life and Jack’s voice came out of the tinny speakers, “Rose? Doctor? Hermione? Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry, I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it. Hang in there.” Hermione scoffed, knowing he could have taken her too. She suspected he was trying to force her to talk to the Doctor, though.

  
Addressing the radio, the Doctor asked, “How're you speaking to us?”  
  
“Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill.”

  
“Now there's a coincidence. The child can Om-Com, too.”

  
Rose was surprised, “He can?”

  
The Doctor nodded, “Anything with a speaker grill. Even the TARDIS phone.”

  
“What, you mean the child can phone us?”  
  
The child’s voice broke through the speaker and singsonged, “And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you, mummy.”

  
Jack broke back through, “I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do.” A moment later Moonlight Serenade played through the radio, making Rose smile and Hermione roll her eyes. “Remember this one, Rose?”

  
“Our song.”

  
With the music playing gently in the background, Rose relaxed in a wheelchair as the Doctor fiddled with his sonic screwdriver and the barred window.

  
“What you doing?” she inquired, quickly growing bored.

  
“Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars.”  
  
“You don't think he's coming back, do you?”  
  
“Wouldn't bet my life.”

  
At this Hermione couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Jack isn’t going to just leave us here! He’d never just leave someone behind,” she declared with a bit of a glare at the Doctor, thinking of seven years of no contact from her Doctor. He was baffled by the vehemence behind her words. She’d been sitting along the wall so quietly he’d quite forgotten that she was there.

  
“So who are you exactly Hermione? You’re not from here either, and you’re not a conman like Jack. What’s your story?”

  
Rose rolled her eyes and glared at the pair.

  
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Hermione said, raising her chin challengingly.

  
“Try me.”

  
“Okay, fine! My real name is Hermione Granger. There was an accident at my work that sent me back in time to 1941 from 2005. Jack saved me.”

  
“Accident at your work? From 2005? Where do you work that you’re messing about with time travel?” the Doctor asked disbelievingly. Rose was gaping, having recognized the name of her cousin. Looking at her consideringly she could start to see the resemblance to the last pictures she’d seen of her cousin several years ago, but all grown up.

  
“I’m an Unspeakable with the Ministry of Magic. I’m a witch.”

  
Laughingly, the Doctor rolled his eyes, “There’s no such thing as witches.”

  
Huffing, Hermione brandished her wand and produced a flock of canaries which then proceeded to swoop towards the Doctor before she vanished them.

  
“Nice trick, but still don’t think you’re a witch.”

  
This time Hermione just glared at him, “Fine then, I don’t need to sit around and put up with this. Enjoy your wait, I’m going to help Jack,” turning to her cousin she nodded her head, “See you again soon, cousin.”

  
She turned sharply and disappeared with a pop, startling the Doctor and Rose.

  
Running over to the spot she occupied and scanning it with his screwdriver, the Doctor wondered aloud, “Where’d she go? How’d she do that!? Wait! Cousin?” He turned to look at Rose questioningly.

  
“Uh, um, uh, well-” she tried speaking. “Well I do have a cousin, and her name is Hermione Granger, but I haven’t seen her in ages so I don’t know if that was her or not. Could’ve been I’spose.”

  
“You don’t know what your own cousin looks like?”

  
Feeling a bit offended, she explained, “She’s my cousin through my dad’s side. You met her at the wedding, she was there with Mickey.” The Doctor’s eyebrows shot up in remembrance of the curly haired little girl. “After he died my mum and her mum fell out a bit. Exchange cards and pictures at Christmas and stuff but we don’t see them much. Last I heard Hermione was at some fancy boarding school up North. Haven’t seen her since Christmas like a decade ago.”

  
“So you don’t know if what she said is true? That’s she’s a witch?”

  
“No clue, but like I said, haven’t seen her in ages.”  
  
They fell into an awkward silence before Rose asked, “Why don't you trust Jack?

  
“Why do you?”

  
“He saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing. I trust him because he's like you. Except with dating and dancing. What?” The Doctor had a pinched look on his face.  
  
“You just assume I'm-”

  
“What?”

  
“You just assume that I don't dance.”

  
“What, are you telling me you do dance?” she asked disbelievingly.

  
“Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced.”

  
“You?”

  
“Problem?” he raised an eyebrow.

  
“Doesn't the universe implode or something if you dance?”  
  
“Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast.”

  
She turned up the volume on the radio, turned to the Doctor and held out a hand, “You've got the moves? Show me your moves.”

  
“Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete.”

  
“Jack'll be back. He'll get us out. So come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances.”

  
Looking at the hands she was holding out to him, he grabbed them and examined her palms, “Barrage balloon?”

  
“What?”

  
“You were hanging from a barrage balloon,” he looked at her for confirmation.

  
“Oh, yeah. About two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet above London, middle of a German air-raid, Union Jack all over my chest.”

  
“I've traveled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly.”

  
“Is this you dancing? Because I've got notes,” she teased.

  
“Hanging from a rope thousands of feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise,” he was still holding her hands, turning them over and back.

  
“Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up.”

  
He narrowed his eyes at her, “Oh, we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?”

  
“Well, his name's Jack and he's a Captain.”

  
“He's not really a Captain, Rose,” the Doctor scoffed.

  
“Do you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy,” she replied, taking his hands back in hers and placing them about her to dance. “You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them.”

  
“If ever he was a Captain, he's been defrocked.”

  
“Yeah? Shame I missed that.”

  
The dancing couple never noticed their change of location. Jack’s voice interrupted their staring at each other, “Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock. Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security.”  
  
“You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is,” the Doctor remarked, looking around to assess the ship.

  
“Oh, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes,” Jack quipped with a smirk.

  
“This is a Chula ship.”

  
“Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous.”

  
The Doctor snapped his fingers and they were surrounded by the same glow that had healed Rose’s hands earlier.

  
Her face lit up, “They're what fixed my hands up Jack called them er-”

  
“Nanobots? Nanogenes.”

  
“Nanogenes, yeah.”  
“Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulkhead's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws.” Turning to Jack he ordered, “Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk.”  
  
Jack rolled his eyes, “As soon as I get the nav-com back online. Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were doing.”

  
“We were talking about dancing.”  
  
Jack smirked at the pair, “It didn't look like talking.”  
  
Rose looked at the Doctor with a pout, “It didn't feel like dancing.”

  
Hermione just sat on the bunk pretending to read while grinding her teeth.

  
Going up to Jack in his chair at the console, Rose decided to ask, “So, you used to be a Time Agent now you're trying to con them?”  
  
“If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money.”  
  
“What for then?”

  
“Woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back. Hermione took a look around my head, and let me tell you that was a weird experience, but she says they’re not there at all. Completely removed.”

  
The Doctor was looking at Hermione pretending to read, wondering about her ability to see inside someone’s mind. Maybe there was something special about her DNA that made her telepathic? He still didn’t buy the whole witch idea yet.

  
“They stole your memories?”

  
“Two years of my life. No idea what I did. Your friend over there doesn't trust me,” Jack said, gesturing to the Doctor, “And for all I know he's right not to. Okay, we're good to go. Crash site?”

  
Fed up with Jack talking down about himself, Hermione slammed her book shut, “Jack you may not remember two years, but that doesn’t make you a bad person. You saved my life. You saved Rose! Quit with the self-deprecation. I’ll believe you’re a bad man who can’t be trusted when you give me reason to do so.”

  
Jack grinned at her fondly, “I’ll remember that kitten, and thank you.”

  
She nodded back at him. “Good, now let’s go check out the crash site.” As she put her large book back into a very tiny beaded bag the Doctor’s eyes widened in disbelief. Maybe she had access to time lord technology?

  
Jack beamed the group down the abandoned railway platform. “There it is. Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important.”  
  
“We've got to get past him,” the Doctor pointed out.

  
Rose smiled, “Are the words distract the guard heading in my general direction?”

  
The Doctor and Hermione both frowned sourly at her while Jack just grinned, “I don't think that'd be such a good idea.”  
  
“Don't worry I can handle it.”  
  
“I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him. Don't wait up.”  
  
Rose looked shocked, Hermione just grinned and winked at Jack as he smiled back at her, and the Doctor put a hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Relax, he's a fifty-first-century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing,” he teased her.  
  
“How flexible?”

  
“Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy.”

  
“Meaning?”

  
“So many species, so little time,” he gloated.

  
Rose looked a little disgusted, “What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and, and-”

  
“Dance,” the Doctor said with a huge grin splitting his face. Hermione was using her hands to try and muffle her laughter.

  
The three watched Jack approach Algy and then looked on in horror as the officer was transformed into a gas mask person. They realized the effect must have become air-borne. Meanwhile, the air raid sirens had started up again. Rose threw her head back in frustration, “All we need. Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?”  
  
The Doctor shushed her, “Never mind about that. If the contaminant is airborne now, there's hours left.”  
  
“For what?” Jack asked.  
  
“Till nothing, forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?”

  
Hermione pointed to a large structure with wooden doors, “Over there! The singing is coming from in here!”

  
The Doctor raced over and freed Nancy from where she was locked to the table with a transformed person slumped over while she sang a lullaby.

  
The group converged around the crashed spacecraft while Jack made sure the area was lit up and uncovered the craft. “You see? Just an ambulance.”

  
Nancy looked dubious at the cylindrical shaped object, “That's an ambulance?”

  
Rose gently touched her shoulder. “It's hard to explain. It's from another world.”

  
Jack remarked that the military had been trying to get into the ship, and the Doctor gave him a disbelieving look, “Of course they have. They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?”

  
“The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it,” Jack explained as he keyed in access codes. There was a bang, then sparks and an alarm went off. “That didn't happen last time.”

  
The Doctor rolled his eyes, “It hadn't crashed last time. There'll be emergency protocols.”  
  
“Doctor, what is that?” Rose was alarmed at the sound of patients descending from the nearby hospital. “Doctor!”  
  
“Captain, secure those gates!”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Just do it! Nancy, how'd you get in here?”  
  
She pointed to a darkened part of the fence, “I cut the wire.”  
  
“Show Rose. Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty-eight D,” he told Rose, tossing her his sonic screwdriver. “Reattaches barbed wire. Go!”

  
With Nancy off with Rose, Hermione pushed Jack out of the way, “Move over, let me try.”

  
The Doctor watched as Hermione waved her wand and murmured something and the ambulance opened. He was slowly coming around to the idea she might be telling the truth.

  
Jack gestured to the interior of the ambulance, “It's empty. Look at it.”  
  
Rose and Nancy rejoined the others around the fallen ship and the Doctor barked at Jack, “What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Rose?”  
  
“I don't know,” she said, looking confused.  
  
“Yes, you do,” he held up his hands, wiggling his fingers.

  
Her face brightened as she cried, “Nanogenes!”  
  
“It wasn't empty, Captain. There were enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species.”  
  
“Oh, God,” Jack looked horrified. Hermione took his hand, a look of dread on her face.

  
“Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gas mask.”  
  
Rose looked shocked, “And they brought him back to life? They can do that?”  
  
The Doctor shrugged, “What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!”

  
“I didn't know,” Jack cried. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and he clung to her.

  
Rose was watching the gates sway as they were crowded by the patients. “It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?”  
  
The Doctor nodded, “The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol.”  
  
“But the gas mask people aren't troops.”  
  
“They are now. This is a battlefield ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, program you.”  
  
“That's why the child's so strong. Why it could do that phoning thing.”  
  
“It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of an hysterical four-year-old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them.”

  
The patients had surrounded the railway station by that point, outside the barbed wire but crowding in more and more.

  
Jack raised his head from Hermione’s shoulder where she’d been rubbing his back and whispering soothingly to him. “Why don't they attack?”  
  
“Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander.”  
  
“The child?” Jack asked.  
  
“Jamie,” Nancy interrupted. “Not the child. Jamie.”  
  
Rose looked to Jack, “So how long until the bomb falls?”

  
“Any second.”  
  
Glaring at Jack, the Doctor sneered, “What's the matter, Captain? A bit close to the volcano for you?”

  
Hermione glowered at the Doctor. She’d never traveled this incarnation of the Doctor, and only met him briefly once when she was 8 years old, but she wasn’t liking her first real impression all that much.

  
Nancy looked near tears, “He's just a little boy. He's just a little boy who wants his mummy.”  
  
“I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can.”  
  
“So what're we going to do?” Rose asked the Doctor.  
  
“I don't know,” he admitted.

  
“It's my fault,” Nancy lamented.

  
“No,” the Doctor told her sternly.  
  
“It is. It's all my fault.”  
  
“How can it be your-”  
  
All of the patients started pleading, “Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”  
  
Looking her over carefully, the Doctor asked gently, “Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?”  
  
Jack interrupted, “Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds.”  
  
Rose went wide eyed, “You can teleport us out.”  
  
“Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols.”

  
Hermione frowned, “And there’s no way I can apparate four people safely.”  
  
“So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do,” the Doctor told Jack, barely glancing at him.

  
Jack squared his shoulders and pulled Hermione into a tight hug before he stepped back. He vanished in a quick flash of light and both Rose and Hermione called out, “Jack?!”

  
The Doctor turned his attention back to Nancy, “How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway. He's not your brother, is he? A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him.”

  
The bomb site gates opened and they turned to see Jaime standing there, at the head of a horde of gasmask people. “Are you my mummy?”  
  
“He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop,” the Doctor told her, with a hand on her shoulder.  
  
“Mummy?”

  
“Tell him. Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me and tell him.”

  
Hermione watched with bated breath as Nancy and Jamie walked towards each other. He kept asking if she was his mummy, and she tried to reassure him yes, she was. But it wasn’t working.

  
The Doctor sighed in frustration, “He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left.”  
  
Nancy knelt on the ground and took Jaime into her arms. “I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry.”

  
As she hugged Jamie they were surrounded by a huge cloud of nanogenes.

  
Rose asked the Doctor, “What's happening? Doctor, it's changing her, we should-”

  
The Doctor looked hopeful, “Shush! Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out.”  
  
“What's happening?”  
  
“See? Recognizing the same DNA. Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one.”

  
He stepped over to Jamie and pulled off his gas mask, exclaiming it utter joy, “Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music - you're going to love it.”  
  
Nancy picked herself up off the ground, “What happened?”

  
“The nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them! Ha-ha! Mother knows best!” he crowed happily.  
  
“Oh, Jamie.”  
  
Rose was pleased but remembered something important, “Doctor, that bomb.”

  
“Taken care of it.”  
  
“How?”  
  
“Psychology.”

  
A bomb hurtled towards them and was caught in Jack’s tractor beam seconds before impact. For some reason Hermione couldn’t fathom Jack was sitting astride the bomb. “Doctor!”  
  
“Good lad!”  
  
“The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long.”  
  
“Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?”

  
“Rose?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Goodbye. Hermione?”

  
“Jack?”

  
“See ya around kitten,” he said with a wink as he and the bomb vanished. The spaceship soon flew off and Hermione bit her lip, wondering just what Jack was doing.

  
Meanwhile, the Doctor was summoning nanogenes to himself, surrounding his hands in a golden glow and he grinned. Rose was confused, “What are you doing?”  
  
“Software patch. Going to email the upgrade. You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves.”

  
He threw the nanogenes to all the patients waiting around and they all fell to the ground. Smiling and opening his arms wide he exclaimed happily, “Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once, everybody lives!” Rose and Hermione both smiled at him, happy to see him so pleased.

  
As the patients all stood up, returned to health, the Doctor approached Doctor Constantine and gave him a hand. “Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor. The world doesn't want to get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit. These are your patients. All better now.”  
  
The older man looked around, a bit baffled but pleased, “Yes, yes, so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?”  
  
“Yeah, well, you know, cutbacks. Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?”

  
As the Doctor walked back to the ambulance and started fiddling with the controls Hermione was helping others right themselves on their feet and watched as an older woman hobbled up to Doctor Constantine. “Doctor Constantine.”  
  
“Mrs. Harcourt. How much better you're looking.”  
  
“My leg's grown back. When I come to the hospital, I had one leg.”  
  
Pursing his lips, Constantine raised an eyebrow and asked, “Well, there is a war on. Is it possible you miscounted?”

  
Hermione laughed outright at that and rejoined the Doctor and Rose. “Right, you lot. Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state! Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?”

Rose snarked with a smile, “Usually the first in line.”

  
The trio soon found and entered the TARDIS but Hermione hung back near the doors, unsure of her welcome. The Doctor ran about the control panel pushing buttons and pulling levers, “The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!”

  
Rose grinned at him, “Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas.”

  
“Who says I'm not, red bicycle when you were twelve?”

  
Rose looked shocked, “What?”

  
“And everybody lives, Rose! Everybody lives! I need more days like this.”

  
“Doctor,” Rose started.

  
“Go on, ask me anything. I'm on fire.”

  
Finally Rose asked the same question Hermione wanted answered, “What about Jack? Why'd he say goodbye?”

  
“Because there’s a good chance he wasn’t going to be able to escape without the bomb going off. He sacrificed himself.”

  
“No!” Hermione shouted, rushing forward. Tears filled her eyes and her cheeks flushed pink, “You can’t just leave him! He saved us! Now we have to save him!”

  
“And why should I do that?”

  
“Because he’s a good person! I’d go save him myself but if he’s in space I can’t apparate far enough. Please, Doctor, please, he’s my friend and he saved us.”

  
“Okay, fine.” He rushed around adjusting the controls and suddenly the doors opened in Jack’s spaceship. They peaked out the doors to see Jack sitting back, enjoying a martini, not noticing their presence. The Doctor turned on Moonlight Serenade and that finally got the Captain’s attention.

  
Rose smiled and waved. “Well, hurry up then!”

  
Jack ran inside the TARDIS, tilting his head as he watched Rose and the Doctor attempting to dance. Hermione stood next to him and looped her arm through his own and smiled.

  
Rose was attempting to give the Doctor directions, “Okay. And right and turn. Okay, okay, try and spin me again, but this time don't get my arm up my back. No extra points for a half-nelson.”  
  
“I'm sure I used to know this stuff,” the Doctor lamented. Turning to Jack, “Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught.”

  
Hermione went and shut the door while the Doctor started up the engines. “Welcome to the TARDIS.”

  
“Much bigger on the inside,” Jack remarked, looking around curiously. He’d heard about the ship from Hermione during their fortnight together but it was something else to see in person.

  
Rose laughed, “I think what the Doctor's trying to say is you may cut in.”

  
But the Doctor wouldn’t stand for that, “Rose! I've just remembered!”

  
“What?”

  
The music changed from the romantic Moonlight Serenade to the more upbeat swing rhythm of In The Mood, also from Glenn Miller.

  
“I can dance! I can dance!” He seemed extremely pleased with himself and he danced a jazz square, snapping his fingers and grinning.

  
“Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance.”  
  
“I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?”

  
The Doctor swept Rose away to dance with him while Jack turned to Hermione. He bowed with a wink and held out his hand. Laughingly they joined the other couple dancing around the console room, both girls shrieking with laughter when dipped. 


	4. Boom Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Little bit of snogging in this chapter, but nothing very graphic. This story is rated T just to be safe, partly for the one snogging scene and all of the potential violence that comes with the show. Sorry for the kind of late update, it’s been a crazy day. Had to take grandma to get a scan for blood clots in her leg and it was just a very long and crazy day. Enjoy! Next chapter will be up on Monday!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
>  
> 
> Episode Spoilers: Boom Town S1E11

 

**Rejected Bonds - Chapter 3, Boom Town**

  
  


[Cardiff 2005]

  
  


There was a knock on the door of the TARDIS and Jack went to answer it. “Who the hell are you?”

 

Mickey looked shocked to see a strange, good looking man in the TARDIS, “What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?”

 

Jack smirked, “Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying.” He made like he was going to close the door on Mickey when he was shoved to the side. 

 

“Get out of my way!”

 

“Don't tell me. This must be Mickey.”

 

The Doctor was up on a ladder mending a fixture on the wall, but he turned around and smiled at Mickey, “Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?”

 

“It's Mickey!”

 

Rose went up to him and hugged him tightly. “Don't listen to him, he's winding you up.”

 

He hugged her back. “You look fantastic.”

 

Jack smiled at the Doctor and Hermione who was holding the ladder steady. “Aw, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?”

 

The Doctor grinned over his shoulder at him, “Buy me a drink first.”

 

Jack laughed, “You're such hard work.”

 

“But worth it,” he said with a smug grin.

 

Hermione laughed at their antics, concentrating on keeping the ladder steady. She was tempted to just put a sticking charm on it because her arms were getting tired.  _ Why isn’t Jack doing this? He’s the big, strong, strapping man, not me! _

 

Rose turned back to Mickey, “Did you manage to find it?”

 

He dug in a bag and handed her over a passport, “There you go.”

 

Rose smirked up at the Doctor, “I can go anywhere now.”

 

“I told you, you don't need a passport.”

 

“It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything.”

 

Mickey frowned, “Sounds like you're staying, then.” He shook himself off and tried to get past the hurt of his kind-of-girlfriend never being around. “So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-” he gestured over to the Doctor with his chin. 

“Oi!”

 

Mickey rolled his eyes in response. “Look in the mirror. But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of-”

 

“Handsome?” Jack interrupted. 

 

“More like cheesy.”

 

Jack’s well-defined brows furrowed, “Early twenty-first century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?”

 

“It's bad.”

 

“But bad means good, isn't that right?”

 

The Doctor came down off the ladder, smiling at Hermione in thanks. “Are you saying I'm not handsome?”

 

Rose decided to head off the brewing argument, even if it was playful. “We just stopped off. We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions.”

 

“The rift was healed back in 1869,” the Doctor started to explain.

 

Rose continued, though, “Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it.”

 

Jack had to explain as well, “But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race-”

 

And the Doctor interrupted him, “But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-”

 

“Open up the engines, soak up the radiation,” Jack continued their dialog. 

 

“Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!” Rose grinned. 

 

Jack joined Rose and the Doctor, “Into time!”

 

“And space!” all three exclaimed, high-fiving one another. 

 

Mickey’s eyes were wide and his eyebrows had shot up his forehead, “My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?”

 

As the three clowns agreed with his statement Hermione piped up, “I know, they can all be a bit much. It’s good to see you, Mickey.” She was a little shy because it had been several years since she’d seen her first friend, before she’d left for Hogwarts first year. 

 

“Oh, my, god! Hermione?” At her nod, he grinned, swept her up and spun her around, “My Minnie Mouse!” 

 

Laughing Hermione held on tight and buried her face in his shoulder. “I missed you too Mickey Mouse.” She kissed his cheek as he set her down, still grinning at one another. Rose stood off to the side frowning bitterly. 

 

Soon the group left the TARDIS and the Doctor locked the door. “Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill.”

 

Mickey looked around the plaza and noticed people staring at them. “That old lady's staring.”

 

Jack laughed, “Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box.”

 

Mickey just rolled his eyes, “What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?”

 

Jack made a rude gesture as he walked away, Hermione tucked into his side. They decided to head to a restaurant on a jetty nearby and the others followed along, the Doctor explaining why the TARDIS looked like a Police Box. 

 

As they enjoyed their meal they regaled each other with funny tales of adventures they’d each had. All was going well until the Doctor noticed the front page of a newspaper a man was reading at a nearby table. He rudely snatched the newspaper away from the man to read the article and looked forlornly at his group, “And I was having such a nice day,” he said, holding up the page so they could all see the picture of Margaret the Slitheen. Only Rose recognized her and gasped. 

 

They quickly finished their meal and paid. Gathering their belongings they headed out to the City Hall. Jack was in his element as he took charge, “According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty-seven fifty-six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Hermione, you have Five. Have you got that?”

The Doctor turned to Jack with a frown, “Excuse me. Who's in charge?”

 

“Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir.”

 

“Right, here's the plan,” he paused, “Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?”

 

“Present arms.”

 

At that, each pulled out a mobile phone. Hermione had had to purchase one on the way over. Her job at the Department of Mysteries meant she was constantly in a heavily magic-dense area most of the day so she hadn’t bothered getting a phone previously. Plus all of her friends and acquaintances used owls or floo called. She winced internally at the thought of her friends, but she was used to traveling with the Doctor and not seeing them for stretches of time, and they never even knew. Which wasn’t to say she wasn’t versed in how to use a phone, she just hadn’t had the need to own one. Making sure they each had everyone else’s numbers programmed into speed dial, they set off. 

 

Hermione and Mickey headed to the North side of the building before splitting up to each take one of the two exits. When the call came that Margaret was heading north Hermione stepped into the shadows where she could survey a greater area yet not be seen. Her instincts from the war rose to the surface and she held her wand steady at her side, despite her racing heart. She watched as Margaret raced down the side of the building as fast as her chubby legs could manage, and she saw the others collide further down the alleyway, Mickey’s foot stuck in a bucket for some reason. 

 

As the Doctor toyed with Margaret teleporting her back every time she teleported away, Hermione snuck up and stunned the Lord Mayor before it would continue. She didn’t want to see her accidently escape because they were playing games. The Doctor frowned at her but Hermione just shrugged unapologetically as she bound the Slitheen. She told the others she would meet them back at the TARDIS and popped their captive away before anyone could complain. 

 

Confused on what just happened, Mickey looked to Rose and the Doctor, “How’d she do that? How did Mione do that!?” 

 

“Let’s look around the Mayor’s office first, then we can get back to the TARDIS and I’m sure she’ll explain,” Jack spoke up, hand on Mickey’s shoulder. 

 

Once they got back, Hermione took Mickey aside to explain her being a witch and an extremely abridged version of her going away to study magic and living in the magical world since then. She once again apologized for not contacting him sooner but he just hugged her and assured her it wasn’t any stranger than a time traveling alien taking off with his girlfriend. Hermione frowned at that but swore him to secrecy all the same. 

 

Going back to the bound prisoner, Hermione cast an  _ ennervate _ at her and she woke from being stunned. Margaret looked started to find herself captured. “This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?”

 

The Doctor scoffed, “You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet.”

 

Frowning, Margaret rolled her eyes, “Apart from that.”

 

“So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family gets killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station. But what for?”

 

“A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways,” she stated pompously.

 

“And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift.”

 

“What rift would that be?”

 

Jack was irritated with her feigned innocence. “A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go boom!”

“This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity,” the Doctor explained, gesturing to the model and diagrams they had brought on board. 

 

Rose looked shocked, “Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?”

Margaret sneered, “We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice.” She looked horrified after a moment, “Oh. I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native.” 

 

Mickey was confused, “But why would she do that? A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself.”

Margaret glared at Mickey, “She's got a name, you know.”

 

“She's not even a she, she's a thing,” he sneered back, to which Hermione slapped him in the arm and glared at him. Hermione hated that kind of attitude towards any person, creature, or alien, and she wouldn’t stand for it in her presence, regardless of the woman’s guilt or innocence. 

 

The Doctor pulled out the grey section of the model and turned it over to reveal complicated electronics, “Oh, but she's clever. Fantastic!” 

 

Jack and the Doctor both admired the technology while Rose, Hermione, and Mickey looked lost. 

“Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?” Jack sounded like Christmas had come early. 

 

“Couldn't have put it better myself,” the Doctor said smiling. 

 

Hermione tuned out all of the technical talk. She may be a muggleborn, but it had been years since she was raised with and used technology, and besides, this technology was far beyond anything normally found on Earth. She did note the explanation about the board serving as a transport of sorts, surfing the wave of the exploding planet. Finally, the Doctor informed their prisoner, “Margaret, we're going to take you home.”

 

Jack wasn’t sure that was the best idea, “Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?”

 

Rose was excited because that meant a trip to another planet. “I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa. Wait a minute! Raxacor-”

“Raxacoricofallapatorius.”

“Raxacorico-”

“-fallapatorius,” the Doctor coached her patiently. 

 

“Raxacoricofallapatorius. That's it! I did it!”

 

Margaret quickly cut through the suddenly jubilant mood. “They have the death penalty. The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of the government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death.”

 

“Not my problem.”

 

Hermione frowned, not liking that taking her home would mean her death, but also not seeing another solution. It’s not like they could keep her captive on the TARDIS indefinitely. 

 

As night fell, Margaret admired the TARDIS, “This ship is impossible. It's superb. I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods.”

 

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters. Jack, how we doing, big fella?”

Jack was laying on the floor under the console hooking up wires and connections between the ship and the board. “This extrapolator's top of the range. Where did you get it?” he asked Margaret. 

 

She shrugged nonchalantly, “Oh, I don't know. Some airlock sale?”

 

Jack frowned, “Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power.”

 

The Doctor needed to know, “But we can use it for fuel?”

 

“It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning.”

 

“Then we're stuck here overnight,” the Doctor sighed. 

 

Margaret, on the other hand, looked relieved. “I'm in no hurry.”

 

Rose seemed excited, “We've got a prisoner. The police box is really a police box.”

 

Sneering, Margaret glared at them, “You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you.”

 

Mickey looked affronted, “Well, you deserve it.”

 

Margaret sat very primly in a seat. “You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly? Long night ahead. Let's see who can look me in the eye.” She proceeded to meet everyone's eyes but they all looked away. She noted the look of reluctant sympathy in Hermione’s eyes, however. 

 

To escape the tension Hermione decided to go inspect the water feature the TARDIS was parked in front of. Soon she was joined by Mickey, who was followed by Rose. “It's freezing out here!”

 

“Better than in there,” he snorted, gesturing back to the Police Box. “She does deserve it. She's a Slitheen. I don't care. It's just weird in that box.”

 

Hermione frowned at his condemnation but said nothing. She didn’t know all the details of what had previously happened when Downing Street was destroyed, so she wasn’t going to pass judgment without knowing all the information. 

 

Rose nudged Mickey with her shoulder, “I didn't really need my passport.”

 

Mickey nudged her back and smiled, “I've been thinking, you know, we could go have a drink. Have a pizza or something. Just you and me.”

 

“That'd be nice.”

 

“And, I mean, if the TARDIS can't leave until morning, we could go to a hotel, spend the night. I mean, if you want to. I've got some money.”

“Okay, yeah.”

“Is that alright?” 

 

She smiled at him, “Yeah.”

“Cool. There's a couple of bars around here. We should give them a go. Do you have to go and tell him?”

 

“It's none of his business.”

 

Hermione fought to hide her glare at her cousin. It’s not that she enjoyed watching her cousin with the Doctor, he didn’t know who she was to him yet, but she also hated seeing Rose play both Mickey and the Doctor. “I’ll let them know. You two have fun.”

 

Mickey looked mortified. He’d forgotten that Hermione was standing right there. “Oh God! Mione, you can come to if you want!” Rose frowned at that. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think-” 

 

Hermione stopped him, “No Mickey, it’s okay. I don’t feel like going out anyway. You go have fun. It was great seeing you.” She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as Rose turned away in a huff. 

 

Hermione stepped back into the TARDIS to check on the Doctor and Jack. She saw Jack step up to the Doctor as he watched something on the monitor.  _ Probably watched what happened out there _ , she thought to herself. 

 

Margaret looked bored. “I gather it's not always like this, having to wait. I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last, you have consequences. How does it feel?”

“I didn't butcher them,” he defended himself. 

 

Jack touched his shoulder, “Don't answer back. That's what she wants.”

 

But the Doctor continued, “I didn't. What about you? You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?”

“It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs. It wasn't funny,” she was offended that the men started laughing. 

 

The Doctor tried to stop chuckling but couldn’t, “Sorry. It is a bit funny.”

 

After a moment she grinned rather sheepishly and agreed it was a little funny. 

 

“Do I get a last request?”

 

“Depends on what it is,” the Doctor hedged. 

 

“I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just around the Bay. It became quite a favourite of mine.”

 

“Is that what you want, a last meal?”

 

“Don't I have rights?”

 

Jack threw an arm around Hermione, while he’d like some time alone with her to talk, he wasn’t keen on the idea of allowing their prisoner any chance to get away. “Oh, like she's not going to try to escape.”

 

Margaret glared at them, “Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger? I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?”

“Strong enough.”

“I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies, now dine with them.”

“You won't change my mind.”

 

“Prove it.”

 

“There are people out there. If you slip away just for one second, they'll be in danger.”

 

Jack perked up and held up two bangles, “Except I've got these. You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts.”

 

Margaret paled at that but the Doctor grinned. “Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner? My treat.”

 

She raised an eyebrow seductively at the Doctor, “Dinner in bondage. Works for me.”

 

After affixing both bangles to the pair, they left with a wave from the Doctor to head to dinner. Once the doors shut, Jack spun Hermione into his arms and smirked sexily at her. “Alone at last.”

 

She laughed breathily. She loved the Doctor dearly, or at least the future version of him, but she couldn’t deny that Jack was charming, sexy, and definitely arousing. 

 

Jack quickly checked the connections to make sure the power transfer was happening according to plan, then both sat cuddled together on the bench seat by the railings. He pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her curly head, wrapping an arm around her. Hermione sat up suddenly, “Oh I forgot! I made these for us,” she handed Jack what looked like the Doctor’s psychic paper. “Yes, it’s just like the Doctor’s. I duplicated his psychic paper. But I tweaked these two to be connected so you can always contact me directly. They’re like the coins I told you about that we used in the defense group I helped lead in school, but better because they’re psychic paper!” She was flushed with excitement over her achievement and Jack smiled fondly at the warmth in her eyes. 

 

“Thanks, kitten, never know when these could come in handy,” he remarked as he slipped his into a pocket. “Now it’s been rather crazy lately, but I want to know, how are you doing?” He looked at her seriously.

 

She looked down at her lap and fiddled with the edges of her creation before slipping it back in her own pocket. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been rough. He doesn’t know me, Jack.” When she looked back up at him she had tears in her eyes. “I hate seeing him fawn all over Rose. It kills me to see him so in love with her, but he doesn’t know who I am to him yet, and I don’t think I can just tell him. Can’t he feel the bond?” 

 

Jack wiped away the few tears that had fallen down her cheeks. “Oh kitten,” he pulled her to his chest and stroked her hair. “I don’t know how the bond works, but I think he feels something. He just doesn’t know it yet or won’t acknowledge it.”

 

“I don’t think he does, though. He smiles at me but he makes a point of not being alone with me if he can help it. What if he winds up hating me and the future changes? I don’t want to lose him, Jack.”

 

“That’s not going to happen. He never told you about this part of his past with you did he?” She shook her head. “Then he didn’t want to mess with it. Whatever happens, is supposed to happen.”

 

“It just hurts.”

 

“I know kitten.”

 

“Jack?” He looked into her chocolate eyes, “Thank you for being such a good friend this last month. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

“It’s my pleasure.” He pushed a curl behind her ear. “Hermione, I know the Doctor is your soulmate, and I know it’s complicated, but I find myself wanting to kiss you. May I?”

 

After seriously thinking about it for a moment, Hermione nodded. The Doctor was either ignorant of or ignoring the bond, and she was terribly lonely so close yet so far from her soulmate. But she also felt a deep connection to Jack. 

 

Slowly, Jack stroked her cheek, pushing his hand to thread through her curls. He kept their eyes locked, only glancing between her chocolate orbs and her pink lips. At her nod, he gently angled her head and brushed his lips against hers. They both felt the spark ignite between them, but he kept his movements slow and gentle. He massaged her lips with his own and when she parted her lips to moan he deepened the kiss. Their tongues came out to play with gentle caresses and he suckled her lower lip. His other hand dropped to her waist to pull her closer. After a moment she crawled into his lap so she could straddle him and allow their hands to roam more freely. 

 

He slid a hand around her back and under her shirt, caressing the smooth skin of her lower back. She groaned into his mouth as she threaded one hand through his hair and the other stroked the muscles of his chest, creeping down to lift his own shirt up as she began to rock against him in his lap. She could feel him growing more aroused. 

 

Before anything more could happen sparks started flying from the TARDIS console and smoke poured from the panels. 

 

“Shite!” Hermione cried, jumping up. She grabbed her wand to try to put out the flames but they were both knocked down by a shower of sparks and an explosion. It was utter chaos as they ran around the console trying to control the damage and stop the reaction. 

 

The Doctor burst in through the doors shouting, “What the hell are you doing?”

“It just went crazy!” Jack cried. Hermione was trying to siphon away the smoke. 

“It's the rift. Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!” the Doctor cried. 

“It's the extrapolator. I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the TARDIS. I can't stop it!” Jack was pulling at his hair. 

 

“Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet.”

 

Rose entered the chaos. “What is it? What's happening?!”

 

Margaret stepped up behind Hermione, ripping her skin suit’s arm off to reveal the arm of her true form. She grabbed Hermione by the throat, “Oh, just little me. One wrong move and she snaps like a promise.”

 

The Doctor glared, “I might've known.”

 

“I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet.”

 

As her grip tightened on Hermione’s neck she knew she couldn’t apparate away without possibly snapping her own neck. She stared wide eyed at the Doctor and Jack as Jack obeyed and placed the extrapolator at Margaret’s feet. “Thank you. Just as I planned.”

 

Rose tried to buy the Doctor some time to think of something, “I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station.”

 

“Failing that, if I were to be arrested, than anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B. To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you.”

Jack was trying to keep calm, but panicking inside at Hermione’s life being on the line. “The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet.” 

 

“And you with it,” she sneered at them. She stepped onto the board with Hermione still in her clutches. “Stand back, boys. Surf's up.”

 

She was distracted by the console of the TARDIS cracking open. An impossibly warm and bright light came slipping out and illuminated her. 

 

The Doctor had a stern, serious, and calm face. “Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart.”

 

“So sue me,” she snarled, glancing away from the light to look at him. Her eyes were drawn back to the light like a magnet, though. 

 

“It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe.”

 

“It'll make wonderful scrap.” 

 

“What's that light?” Rose asked, a little frightened. 

 

“The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul.”

 

“It's so bright,” Margaret said wonderingly. 

 

“Look at it, Margaret.”

 

“Beautiful.”

 

“Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light.”

 

As Margaret relaxed Hermione was able to break free. Margaret then looked up at the Doctor, smiling. “Thank you,” she whispered as she disappeared. Her empty body suit crumpled to the floor, covering the extrapolator. 

 

The Doctor turned his attention to Hermione, “Don't look. Stay there. Close your eyes!”

 

He closed the console and turned to glance at Hermione to make sure she was okay. “Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down. Shut down! Rose, that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right.”

 

Energy stopped pouring through the top of the TARDIS and everything calmed down in the console room. “Nicely done. Thank you, all.”

 

Rose came around to look at the skin suit, “What happened to Margaret?”

 

“Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence,” Jack said, grabbing Hermione into a fierce hug. He was the only one who had noticed a speck of the bright light that had entered her eyes before the control panel had been closed. 

 

The Doctor looked at the skin suit consideringly, “No, I don't think she's dead.”

 

Hermione unburied her head from Jack’s chest to ask, “Then where'd she go?”

 

“She looked into the heart of the TARDIS. Even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic, like I told you, Rose. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts.”

 

Bending down he uncovered a large egg with tendrils sticking out the top. “Here she is.”

 

Rose looked a bit horrified, “She's an egg?”

 

“Regressed to her childhood.”

 

“She's an egg?” Jack couldn’t help but repeat. This was strange even for the time he came from. 

 

The Doctor smiled up at everyone, “She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be all right!”

 

“Or she might be worse,” Jack worried. 

 

“That's her choice.”

 

Rose couldn’t get past it. “She's an egg.”

 

“She's an egg,” he confirmed. 

 

“Oh, my God. Mickey,” Rose cried as she ran back out the doors. Hermione scowled after her. She couldn’t believe that Rose would just ditch Mickey in the middle of an emergency like that. Or maybe she could believe. 

 

When Rose returned alone the Doctor barely glanced in her direction. “We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's all right.”

“Yeah, fine,” Rose mumbled glumly.

 

“How's Mickey?” he asked, not really caring. 

 

“He's okay. He's gone.”

 

“Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait.”

 

Jack had Hermione sat down on the bench seat once more and was checking her over. Other than a bit of bruising at her throat she seemed to be in good health, but he was still concerned about the bit of light he saw enter her. She assured him that she was fine, however. 

 

Rose played with her scarf, “No need. He deserves better.” 

 

Hermione felt mean, but she agreed with Rose on that thought. 

 

“Off we go, then. Always moving on.”

 

Jack stepped up to the console, “Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now you don't often get to say that.”

 

“We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance.”

 

Rose sat next to Hermione and mumbled to herself, “That'd be nice.” Only Hermione heard. 

  
  



	5. Bad Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Oops, I meant to post this on Monday, my bad! Sorry! So you get two chapters today! 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: Bad Wolf S1E12

**Rejected Bonds - Chapter 4, Bad Wolf**

 

After dropping off Margaret the Slitheen’s egg on Raxacoricofallapatorius, the group was deciding where to go next. They were standing around the console room of the TARDIS laughing when a brilliant white light blinded them and they were each pulled away. The Doctor woke up in a small cupboard only to find he was somehow on a game show. He’d been teleported into the Big Brother House as a new contestant. Jack woke to find himself facing two large robots in a future version of What Not To Wear. He took it in stride when his clothing was defabricated off his body and he was left nude on live TV. 

 

Hermione and Rose, however, woke up together, dazed and confused in what seemed like a large dark room. A man was bending over them and helped them to sit up more comfortably. “What happened?” Rose asked, rubbing her head. Hermione stood up quickly, trying to shake off the disorientation and survey her surroundings. 

 

The man tried to assure them, “It’s all right. It’s the transmat. Does your head in. Get a bit of amnesia. What’re your names?”

 

“Rose. But where’s the Doctor?” She looked at Hermione questioningly. 

 

“I’m Hermione,” she told the man and turned to help her cousin stand, “I don’t know where he is but we need to play along, got it?”

 

The man introduced himself as Rodrick and ushered the pair over to a lit area with podiums arranged around a robot in a semi-circle. “Just remember, do what the android says. Don’t provoke it. The android’s word it law.”

 

“What do you mean, android? Like a robot?” Rose was looking around completely confused. 

 

“Come on, hurry up.” He helped a wobbly Rose to her podium and Hermione went to the one on his other side. 

 

Rose ignored Hermione’s pointed looks to just go with what was happening and kept talking. “I was - we were travelling, with the Doctor and a man called Captain Jack. The Doctor wouldn’t just leave me!”

 

Hermione glared at her to shut up as the floor manager got everyone into position and asked them all to be quiet. 

 

“But I’m not supposed to be here,” Rose whined. 

 

Rodrick rolled his eyes, “It says Rose on the podium.”

 

“Hold on, I must be going mad. It can’t be. This looks like the-” she trailed off in shock, “Oh my God, the android. The Anne-droid.”

 

The android in the center of the half circle then announced, “Welcome to The Weakest Link!”

 

Rose continued to talk and complain, much to Hermione’s annoyance. Can’t she just shut up and use her brain? 

 

Rodrick spoke the words she was too polite to say, though, “Just shut up and play the game.”

 

Hermione stifled a laugh at her cousin’s outraged face. 

 

The android turned to the first contestant to begin the game, rapidly firing questions with each contestant. Hermione had a grim look on her face but Rose just kept laughing in disbelief at the situation they found themselves in. 

 

As the contestants were choosing the weakest link of the round, Anne Droid turned to Rose, “So, Rose, what do you actually do?”

“I just travel about a bit. Bit of a tourist, I suppose.”

“Another way of saying unemployed.”

 

“No,” she frowned. 

“Have you got a job?”

“Well, not really, no, but-”

 

“Then you are unemployed. And yet, you've still got enough money to buy peroxide. Why Fitch?”

“Er, I think she got a few of the questions wrong, that's all.”

“Oh, you'd know all about that.”

Rose looked sheepish, knowing she hadn’t done well in the round. She also wondered how Hermione had done as well as she had, only missing two questions. “Well, yeah, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Fitch. I'm sorry, that's the game. That's how it works. I had to vote for someone.”

 

Fitch was in tears and begging, “Let me try again. It was the lights and everything. I couldn't think.”

 

The robot continued, however, “In fact, with three answers wrong, Rose was the weakest link in that round, but it's votes that count.”

 

Fitch was sobbing, “I'm sorry. Please. Oh God, help me!”

 

“Fitch you are the weakest link. Goodbye!” A barrel came out of the robot’s mouth and a beam fired at Fitch, disintegrating her. 

 

Rose looked shocked, “What's that? What's just happened?”

 

Rodrick wiped off his board, “She was the weakest link, she gets disintegrated. Blasted into atoms. Don't try to escape. It's play or die.”

 

Despite being horrified at the game, a calculating glint entered her eyes that Hermione did not like one bit. 

 

A couple rounds later it was only Rodrick, Hermione, and Rose left. Rather than voting for Rodrick, Rose had voted for her cousin, knowing that Rodrick would most likely do the same. 

 

Hermione fumed and glared at her cousin, who met her eyes challengingly. The android once more asked Rose why she voted for Hermione, “That’s how you play the game. I want to go to the final round.” 

 

The droid then turned to Hermione, “Hermione, despite having answered the most questions correctly this last round it’s votes that count. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!” 

 

Hermione flipped off her cousin who was smirking at her as the barrel once more came out of the robot’s mouth. As the beam was firing Hermione turned quickly on the spot to apparate back to the TARDIS. She’d been planning on trying to take her cousin with her if the Doctor hadn’t rescued them by that point, but it looked like her baby cousin wanted her out of the way. 

 

Hermione was relieved to find that the TARDIS wasn’t out of her apparation range, and proceeded to scream in anger when she appeared in the console room. I can’t believe that bitch tried to have me killed! She went over to the monitors to find out where the TARDIS was and try to discover the locations of Jack and the Doctor. She found she was in a place called Satellite 5, and also found that the Doctor and Jack were quickly converging on Rose’s location. Oh sure, they manage to get there in time to save Rose, she thought bitterly. Tapping into the live feed for the game she watched the final round between her cousin and Rodrick. 

 

As Rodrick won the game he exclaimed, “Oh, my God! I've done it! You've lost!” 

 

Rose went pale. “But I'm not meant to be here. I need to find the Doctor, he's got to be here somewhere he's always here! He wouldn't just leave me!”

 

The droid turned to Rodrick, “Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits.”

 

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much.”

 

Rose was starting to panic, “This game is illegal. I'm telling you to stop!”

 

The Doctor and Jack barged into the studio as Hermione watched on the monitors. The Doctor raced past security guards. “Rose! Stop this game!”

 

The Anne-droid continued regardless of the distractions. “Rose, you leave this life with nothing.”

 

Jack was struggling to get away from the guards. “Stop this game!”

 

“I order you to stop this game!” the Doctor shouted. 

 

“You are the weakest link.” The Anne-droid shot Rose as she was running to the Doctor, leaving a pile of dust on the floor. 

 

Jack was infuriated. “What the hell did you do to her?”

 

Hermione watched on the monitor as the Doctor knelt over what he thought were Rose’s remains. Jack was running around pointing a gun at people and shouting, “Don't you touch him! Leave him alone! You killed her! Your stupid freaking game show killed her.” He looked at the names on the podiums and realised that Hermione had been there too. He went into a rage and tried fighting the guards but was quickly subdued, as tears fell down his face. 

 

A guard was cuffing the Doctor, “Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate.” 

Hermione had noticed that Rose’s signal was beamed away to the edge of the solar system just before the pair reached her. She felt a small amount of satisfaction knowing that Rose’s ploy to stall and/or win the game had failed, despite trying to sacrifice her cousin. Hermione also realized that the disintegration beams were actually transport beams and that Rose was on another ship. When she tried to leave the TARDIS the doors refused to open. For some reason the ship was keeping her locked up, for now, so she sat down to wait until the Doctor and Jack broke out of jail. 

 

It didn’t take too long in actuality, but Hermione was still bored and anxious as she waited. She couldn’t believe Rose had tried to kill her! It was painfully obvious that the girl was extremely jealous of anyone who took the Doctor’s attention away, but Hermione was well aware of the Doctor’s feelings for Rose. It was painfully obvious that her soulmate only had eyes for her cousin. As much as it killed a part of her inside she accepted it. She’d known about this part of her Doctor’s past, she just hadn’t expected to be living it herself. And besides, Jack had been a loyal and supportive friend. She sometimes felt like she was cheating on the Doctor having such strong feelings for Jack, but the way the Doctor fairly well ignored her and her own loneliness drove her to be even closer to Jack. They wouldn’t be a forever kind of relationship if they ever decided to do more than snog a bit, but they were a nice for now kind of thing. 

 

Jack burst through the doors and before he even registered she was there, Hermione had leapt into his arms in relief. “What the hell?” He was shocked to see Hermione alive, convinced she’d been disintegrated as well. 

 

“Oh, Jack I’m so happy to see you!”

 

“Hermione!? You’re alive! But wait, if you’re alive, where’s Rose?”

 

“She’s not here. I apparated away when the droid tried to shoot me.”

 

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but Rose, Rose is-” he choked out. 

 

“Alive,” she interrupted him. She dragged him to the monitors and showed him what she had seen. 

 

“Oh thank God!” He went to run back to the control room to tell the Doctor the happy news but stopped when he felt a tug on his arm. 

 

Hermione was biting her lip and fidgeting. “Jack wait a second, please. There’s something you should know.”

 

“What is it? We should go tell the Doctor the good news! Why have you been in here? Why didn’t you come to find us?”

 

“Jack let me talk! The TARDIS wouldn’t let me leave first of all. And you need to know, Rose tried to kill me.”

 

Jack looked shocked but then laughed and pulled away. “Rose!? How did Rose try to kill you?”

 

Hermione felt her blood turn to ice. Jack didn’t believe her. A weight settled in her stomach and she fought back tears. “She voted for me Jack. Just before the final round, she voted for me on purpose to try and get me killed off!” 

 

Jack frowned a bit but then smiled. “I’m sure it was a misunderstanding. She was just playing the game.”

 

“Jack you’re not listening! You don’t understand! You didn’t see her face! She wanted me dead!”

 

“Hermione you’re being hysterical.”

 

She flinched away from him as if she’d been smacked. “Fine. If that’s how you see it. Let’s go find the Doctor.” 

 

Jack had a feeling of dread at her cold tone and expression. She’d gone pale and pulled her lips into a firm line. When he went to touch her shoulder she jerked away from him and glared at him with cold, fathomless eyes. Maybe he’d made a mistake, he thought to himself. But apologising would have to wait. 

 

The pair entered the game station control room, Hermione making sure to stay well out of reach of her erstwhile friend. Jack headed towards the front of the room where the Doctor had been talking to the controller. “Found the TARDIS. And Hermione.”

 

The Doctor waved off that information and Hermione felt even more rejected. Hadn’t he spared even one thought to her own well being?

 

“We're not leaving now.”

 

“No, but the TARDIS worked it out. You'll want to watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?”

 

A short, pixie-like blonde, Lynda looked unsure. “I just want to go home.”

 

“It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can. Everybody watching? Okay. three, two, one.” He pressed a button and a beam shot at Lynda, who vanished in a puff of smoke. 

 

The Doctor looked outraged, “But you killed her!”

 

“Oh, do you think?” He pressed another button and Lynda appeared on the other side of the room. “It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator, a secondary transmat system. People don't get killed in the games, they get transported across space. Doctor, Rose is still alive!” Jack and the Doctor hugged and Hermione found a seat at one of the control stations. 

 

The Doctor looked jubilant. “She's out there somewhere.”

 

The controller interrupted them. Her pale, unseeing eyes darting around at nothing. “Doctor. Coordinates five point six point one-”

 

“Don't, the solar flare's gone. They'll hear you.”

 

“Point four three four. No, my masters, no! I defy you! Sigma seven seven-” But she disappeared with a scream before she could finish. 

 

“They took her!” The Doctor looked appalled.

 

Jack worked with a couple of the people who had maintained control over the games to calculate the last part of the coordinates while the Doctor stepped over to Hermione. He put a hand on her shoulder. Misinterpreting the reason for her distraught look, he assured her, “We’ll get Rose back, Hermione. Don’t you worry.” Hermione just gave him a weak smile in response as she fought to hold back the tears that still threatened to fall from Jack dismissing her claims.  _ Doubt the Doctor would believe me either, _ she thought bitterly. 

 

The Doctor went over to the group calculating coordinates and chastised Jack for flirting. “There's a time and a place.” He mused to himself about the coincidence of events, the name of the company that ran the station - Bad Wolf - and determined that someone had been plotting for a very long time. “Someone's been playing a long game, controlling the human race from behind the scenes for generations.”

 

Jack pointed out on the monitor, “The transmat delivers to that point, right on the edge of the solar system.”

 

The woman at the computer looked confused. “There's nothing there.”

 

“It looks like nothing because that's what this satellite does. Underneath the transmission, there's another signal. Hiding whatever's out there. Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner. There's something sitting right on top of planet Earth, but it's completely invisible. If I cancel the signal-” he entered commands on the computer and a large flying saucer appeared on a viewscreen. It zoomed out to reveal even more ships. 

 

Jack paled, “That's impossible. I know those ships. They were destroyed.”

 

“Obviously, they survived,” the Doctor said, dismayed. 

 

Lynda couldn’t help but ask, “Who did? Who are they?”

 

“Two hundred ships. More than two thousand on board each one. That's just about half a million of them.”

“Half a million what?”

“Daleks,” the Doctor spat. 

 

A Dalek then appeared on the viewscreen. “I will talk to the Doctor.”

 

“Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!”

 

“The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene.”

 

“Oh, really? Why's that, then?”

 

“We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated!”

 

“No.”

 

“Explain yourself.”

 

“I said no.”

 

“What is the meaning of this negative?”

 

“It means no.”

 

“But she will be destroyed.”

 

“No! Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet. And then I'm going to save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!”

 

“But you have no weapons, no defences, no plan.”

 

“Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death. Rose?”

 

“Yes, Doctor?” she replied from the view screen. 

 

“I'm coming to get you.”


	6. The Parting of the Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The actual chapter for today, again, sorry for the goof up on Monday! Next chapter is really long, so there's that to look forward to! 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: The Parting of the Ways S1E13

Rejected Bonds - Chapter 5, The Parting of the Ways

[Satellite 5]

While Jack and the Doctor ran towards the TARDIS sitting inside of Archive Six, Hermione remained in her seat at one of the station consoles. Her hands were clenched into fists in her lap and she had her eyes shut tight. She was warring with herself on whether or not she should accompany them to rescue Rose. The pair of men stopped in the doorway and called out to her. Resolved to her decision, Hermione walked sedately over. 

“Hermione, come along, we’re going to go rescue Rose!” The Doctor was waving frantically for her to come aboard the TARDIS. She stopped several feet from them and shook her head. 

“No. I can’t. You go and save her if you can. But I won’t help. She tried to have me killed and I’d only hinder you both. Go and save her!” She didn’t want her cousin to die but she also knew her emotions were not entirely altruistic and she didn’t want to impede their rescue efforts. 

“What? You must be mistaken, Rose would never do something like that!” the Doctor declared. 

Jack frowned and wouldn’t meet Hermione’s eyes, “She said Rose voted for her to get her killed on purpose, but I agree with you Doctor, I don’t think it was intentional.”

Hermione glared furiously at the two most important men in her life as an icy band clenched around her heart. She wiped her face of all emotion and said to them with no feeling whatsoever, “Fine. Go save her. I’ll be doing what I can to ready these people and make this a more defensible position.” She turned away without a backwards glance and fought to keep a tight rein on her emotions. Her bond with the Doctor felt thin and colder than it ever had, except the icy sensation she’d had as a child when he’d temporarily been erased from the universe the first time they’d met. So he doesn’t believe me either. That’s just fine. Hermione gathered the remaining staff and started to organise an evacuation of Satellite 5 as the TARDIS faded in the background. She wished them the best of luck in her mind but then got back to business. 

 

[Dalek Ship]

The TARDIS materialised around Rose in the middle of a group of Daleks, but Jack was ready and waiting to destroy any Daleks that were inadvertently brought on board as well. A well-placed shot with his modified defabricator and the lone Dalek was dead. 

The Doctor scooped Rose into a fierce hug with Jack following up with one of his own. 

Rose looked completely relieved to be back with the Doctor, “Feels like I haven't seen you in years.”

“I told you I'd come and get you.”

“Never doubted it.”

After their hugs and greetings, the trio stepped foot outside the TARDIS, but still inside its shields. Some reconnaissance was in order. They soon found out that the Emperor of the Dalek’s had survived the Time War, and had been amassing an army of Daleks created from the castoffs of humanity. Stepping back into the TARDIS as they were fired upon by the Daleks, they proceeded to go back to Satellite 5. “Alrighty then, let’s get back and see what Hermione’s managed to do while we were gone,” the Doctor rambled. 

“Hermione? She’s alive?” Rose asked wide eyed. 

Jack paused at the controls and looked consideringly at Rose. “Yes, she apparated away just before the beam hit her.”

“Oh. Oh well that’s good then, isn’t it?” Rose frowned. 

The Doctor and Jack glanced at one another quickly while her face was averted, the Doctor shrugging and Jack with a scowl on his face. There wasn’t time to worry about the situation between the two women, however.

 

[Satellite 5]

After the TARDIS materialised at the back of the control room the Doctor ran out the doors. “Turn everything up. All transmitters full power, wide open. Now! Do it!”

“What does this do?” he was asked by one of the staff. 

“Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board. How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?”

“Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programmes.”

“And the planet's just sitting there, defenceless. Lynda, what're you still doing on board? I told you to evacuate everyone.”

Hermione looked up from the plans she was looking at, “She wouldn't go.”

“Didn't want to leave you,” the blonde said with a sheepish smile. Rose scowled fiercely at the exchange and Hermione didn’t even bother to acknowledge her. 

One of the female controllers piped up, “There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here. We've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero.”

The monitors alerted everyone assembled to the movement of the Dalek fleet. 

The Doctor started running around and pulling out bits of the conduits behind the control panels. “Dalek plan. Big mistake, because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on, it's obvious. A great big transmitter. This station. If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it, anyone?”

Jack gaped, “You've got to be kidding.”

“Give the man a medal.”

“A Delta Wave?”

“A Delta Wave!”

Rose was confused, “What's a Delta Wave?”

Jack took up the explanation. “A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed.” Jack frowned at the viability of this plan. 

The Doctor looked excited, though. “And this place can transmit a massive wave. Wipe out the Daleks!”

Lynda was bouncing on the balls of her feet, “Well, get started and do it then.”

“Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about, oh, three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?”

“Twenty-two minutes,” answered the man at the console. 

After some tinkering with the available technology, and using the extrapolator board they’d taken from Margaret the Slitheen, Jack had managed to craft some protections for the group. “We've now got a forcefield so they can't blast us out of the sky, but that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading. They'll have worked the Delta Wave at the same time. So, they want to stop the Doctor. That means they've got to get to this level, five hundred. Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, five hundred to four nine five. So they'll penetrate the station below that at level four nine four and fight their way up.”

The man at the control board paled, “Who are they fighting?”

“Us.

“And what are we fighting with?”

“The guards had guns with bastic bullets. That's enough to blow a Dalek wide open,” Jack lied. 

The woman pointed out, “There's six of us, not counting the Doctor.”

“Rose, you can help me. I need all these wires stripped bare,” the Doctor interrupted. He didn’t want Rose near any fighting. 

“Right, now there's five of us,” the woman moaned. 

Jack gathered what he needed and Hermione checked she had her beaded bag and wand secured. “Then let's move it. Into the lift. Isolate the lift controls.”

Lynda shyly approached the Doctor, “I just want to say, er, thanks, I suppose, and I'll do my best.”

“Me too,” he replied with a grin and shook her hand. Rose was relieved to see Lynda and Hermione leave. 

Jack turned to Rose and the Doctor, “It's been fun, but I guess this is goodbye.”

Rose looked desperate, “Don't talk like that. The Doctor's going to do it. You just watch him.”

Jack merely smiled and kissed her briefly, “Rose, you are worth fighting for,” he then turned to the Doctor and gave him a quick kiss on the lips as well, “Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward.” He then turned to join Hermione who was holding the lift doors and refused to make eye contact with any of them. 

“He's going to be all right, isn't he?” Rose asked the Doctor. He felt a pang in his chest as his other two companions left, scared for them. He quickly dismissed it and ignored Rose’s question, going back to his work. 

 

[Floor Zero]

Jack stood on a pile of crates on Floor Zero and fired his machine gun into the air. That got everyone’s attention, Hermione thought. Jack boomed, “One last time! Any more volunteers? There's an army about to invade this station. I need every last citizen to mount a defence.”

Rodrick was among the crowd and it was easy to tell he was scared witless. “Don't listen to him. There aren't any Daleks. They disappeared thousands of years ago.”

A few more people stepped forward to volunteer to fight, but the majority held back and refused to look Jack or Hermione in the eye. Jack merely nodded to the new volunteers and addressed the crowd once more. “Thanks. As for the rest of you, the Daleks will enter the station at floor four nine four and as far as I can tell, they'll head up, not down. But that's not a promise. So here's a few words of advice. Keep quiet. And if you hear fighting up above, if you hear us dying, then tell me that the Daleks aren't real. Don't make a sound. Let's go.”

Hermione threw one last scathing look at Rodrick, who flinched, and she got on the lift with the others. 

 

[Floor 500]

Back on Floor 500, Rose and the Doctor were stripping wires and making connections. Rose fiddled with the wire in her hand but glanced up at the Doctor occasionally. She mumbled, “Suppose.”

“What?” he replied. 

“Nothing.”

“You said suppose.”

“No, I was just thinking. I mean, obviously you can't, but, you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?”

The Doctor sighed, “As soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events, stuck in the timeline.”

“Yeah, thought it'd be something like that,” she muttered. 

Looking up at her completely, he remarked, “There's another thing the TARDIS could do. It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989.”

“Yeah, but you'd never do that.”

“No, but you could ask. Never even occurred to you, did it?”

“Well, I'm just too good.”

A noise started building from the station and the Doctor beamed, “The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?”

Running over to the console he checked the readouts and his shoulders slumped in defeat. The lift doors open to reveal Hermione alone. She quickly announced, “Jack sent me back up here, thought you both could use another set of hands.” 

Rose didn’t pay her any mind, however. “Is that bad? Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?”

Suddenly the Doctor looked up. He glanced between the two cousin’s consideringly, a gleam of hope sparking in his eyes once again. “Rose Tyler, you're a genius! We can do it. If I use the TARDIS to cross my own timeline. Yes!” He grabbed both girls by the hand and ran into the ship. Quickly he arranged them around the console with their hands on different buttons and levers. “Hold that down and keep it in that position.”

Rose inquired, “What's it do?”

“Cancels the buffers. If I'm very clever and I'm more than clever, I'm brilliant, I might just save the world. Or rip it apart.”

Rose grinned, “I'd go for the first one.”

Grinning back at the pair he laughed, “Me too. Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!”

Hermione had a sinking feeling as she held her lever in place. The doors slammed and locked behind the Doctor and next thing they knew the engines began whirring to life. He’s sending us away. Oh that stupid, noble fool! 

Rose started to panic when the ship started to dematerialize with its familiar noises, “Doctor, what're you doing? Can I take my hand off? It's moving.”

Both girls gave up holding the controls and Rose ran to the doors but they wouldn’t open. “Doctor, let me out!”

“Rose, it’s done. He’s sending us away.”

“No!” she shouted in despair. 

A hologram of the Doctor appeared between them and addressed the cousins. “This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape.”

“No!”

“And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home.”

“I won't let you,” she sobbed. 

“And I bet you're fussing and moaning now. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do. Let the TARDIS die. Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it. No one'll even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world'll move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing. Have a good life.” The hologram turned to face Rose directly, “Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life.”

When it flickered out Rose was sobbing and beating at buttons on the console. “You can't do this to me. You can't. Take me back! Take me back! No!”

Hermione tried to pull her away and comfort her, tears running down her own cheeks, but it was useless. “Come on, fly. How do you fly? Come on, help me!” She turned to Hermione and smacked at her shoulders and Hermione just stood there. She knew the anguish Rose was feeling because she was feeling it too. 

Rose finally gave up and ran outside. As she leant against the side of the TARDIS Mickey came running down the road. “I knew it! I was all the way down Clifton Parade, and I heard the engines. I thought, there's only one thing that makes a noise like that. What is it?”

Rose hugged him, in tears, but Hermione was the one to elaborate. “The Doctor sent us away. He did it to keep her safe.” She knew it was the only chance that she was sent away as well. If she’d stayed with Jack she would still be on the station preparing to die confronting the Daleks. I wonder if this is what Jack was hoping for when he sent me back to them. 

 

[Satellite 5]

The Doctor was still madly at work with the wires and computers, hoping against hope that his plan would work. He tried not to think about betraying Rose and Hermione. He knew Rose would never accept it, but he wanted, needed to keep her safe. To keep them both safe. So he ignored the cold pang in his chest and worked to make sure his sacrifice would not be made in vain. Jack’s face popped up on a nearby monitor and he started issuing instructions to Rose. Pausing in his wiring the Doctor looked up at the monitor. “She's not here.”

“Of all the times to take a leak. When she gets back, tell her to read me the codes.”

“She's not coming back,” the Doctor muttered flatly. 

“What do you mean? Where'd she go?”

“Just get on with your work.”

Realisation came over Jack’s face. “You took her home, didn't you? And Hermione too, right?”

“Yeah.”

Biting his lip, Jack asked, “The Delta Wave, is it ever going to be ready?”

They were interrupted by the Emperor of the Dalek’s cutting in on the viewscreen. “Tell him the truth, Doctor. There is every possibility the Delta Wave could be complete, but no possibility of refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path, with no distinction between human and Dalek. All things will die by your hand.”

Jack gulped, “Doctor, the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth.”

The Emperor laughed. “You would destroy Daleks and Humans together. If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?”

Desperately, the Doctor tried to explain to both the Emperor and Jack, “There are colonies out there. The Human Race would survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole Universe is in danger if I let you live. Do you see, Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?”

“You sent them home. They’re safe. Keep working.”

“But he will exterminate you!” the Dalek shouted. 

“Never doubted him. Never will,” Jack smirked in response. 

“Now, you tell me, God of all Daleks, because there's one thing I never worked out. The words Bad Wolf, spread across time and space, everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?”

“I did nothing.”

“Oh, come on, there's no secrets now, your worship.”

“They are not part of my design. This is the Truth of God.” 

 

[London]

Hermione, Rose, Jackie and Mickey sat in a small cafe where only Jackie and Mickey really ate anything. Hermione and Rose both felt sick with worry and only picked at their chips. They effectively ignored the conversation of their companions to wallow in their own thoughts, slightly different yet on the same vein, worry for the Doctor and Jack. “Two hundred thousand years in the future, he's dying, and there's nothing I can do,” Rose mumbled, throwing down the chip she held. 

Jackie rolled her eyes, “Well, like you said two hundred thousand years. It's way off.”

“But it's not. It's now. That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us, for the whole planet, and I'm just sitting here eating chips.”

“Listen to me. God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him and do you know why? Because he did the right thing. He sent you back to me.”

“But what do I do every day, mum? What do I do? Get up, catch the bus, go to work, come back home, eat chips and go to bed? Is that it?”

“It's what the rest of us do.”

“But I can't!”

“Why, because you're better than us?” Mickey fumed, glaring at Rose. Hermione reached across the table to grab his hand and gave him a sad smile. 

“No, I didn't mean that. But it was. It was a better life. And I don't mean all the travelling and seeing aliens and spaceships and things. That don't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life. You know he showed you too. That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away, and I just can't-” she didn’t finish as she got up and ran out of the cafe. Hermione mumbled some excuses and ran after her. First she tries to kill me and now I’m trying to comfort her. What a strange day.

 

 

[Powell Estate] 

Hermione had gone back to the TARDIS to give Mickey and Rose a chance to talk in private in the playground near the Tyler’s flat, which he appreciated. 

“You can't spend the rest of your life thinking about the Doctor,” he tried to explain his thoughts. 

“But how do I forget him?” Rose moaned. 

“You've got to start living your own life. You know, a proper life, like the kind he's never had. The sort of life that you could have with me.”

Rose ignored him, however, noticing large letters painted across the tarmac of the play area. Looking around she noticed the same words, Bad Wolf, graffitied on a wall nearby. “Over here. It's over here as well!”

“That's been there for years. It's just a phrase. It's just words.”

“I thought it was a warning. Maybe it's the opposite. Maybe it's a message. The same words written down now and two hundred thousand years in the future. It's a link between me and the Doctor. Bad Wolf here, Bad Wolf there.”

“But if it's a message, what's it saying?”

Rose exclaimed in excitement, “It's telling me I can get back. The least I can do is help him escape.”

On the TARDIS Hermione was stroke the console of the ship and attempting to communicate with it telepathically. She’d done so in the past and was hoping she would respond to her pleas. All she got in response was a sad moaning sound from the ship. It seems the ship’s programmed to lock out any other user than the Doctor. Clever. Damn that man. 

Rose burst through the doors with Mickey following in her wake. “All the TARDIS needs to do is make a return trip. Just reverse.”

“Yeah, but we still can't do it.”

“The Doctor always said the TARDIS was telepathic. This thing is alive. It can listen.”

“It's not listening now, is it?”

“We need to get inside it. Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this middle bit opened, and there was this light, and the Doctor said it was the heart of the TARDIS. If we can open it, I can make contact. I can tell it what to do.”

“Rose I’ve already tried that,” Hermione tried explaining. 

“No! Just shut up Hermione!”

Hermione stepped back, stunned by her cousin’s aggression. 

Mickey gulped, “Rose.”

“Mmm?” She only half paid attention as she looked for a way to open up the panel. 

“If you go back, you're going to die.”

“That's a risk I've got to take because there's nothing left for me here,” she said stonily. 

Mickey’s face went blank. “Nothing?”

“No.”

Hermione could see he was hiding his hurt as he said, “Okay if that's what you think, let's get this thing open.”

Soon Mickey had fastened a heavy chain to the tow hitch on his Mini Cooper. Hermione had transfigured the chain from a rope for them. She didn’t really think this was going to work, but it was worth a shot. She was reluctant to try using her magic to open up the console panel, unsure of how it would react with the sentient ship. 

As Mickey drove forward Rose was shouting encouragement to him, up until the chain broke. Rose then glared at Hermione like it was her fault the chain had snapped. Hermione bit her cheek to keep from saying something rude to her cousin as the blonde kicked the console. Hermione could feel in her mental connection to the ship that she didn’t appreciate being abused in such a way. 

Hermione needed some space from her cousin so she went to lean against the side of the TARDIS and get some air. She was considering her options if she was indeed stuck here. She’d been sent back to 1941 from early August 2005. It was now November 2005. According to her own timeline she’d have been either dead or missing for around three months. She made a point not to contact the Magical World or find out any news because once she knew of events for sure she couldn’t use magic to go back in time and change them. In third year, she and Harry had only been able to save Buckbeak because they hadn’t actually witnessed the execution or been told of it, they’d merely seen the crows fly off. 

Once you knew for sure how events happened you couldn’t change them without creating a paradox, and magical paradoxes were every bit as bad as the one she’d witnessed as a child when the Doctor and Rose had come to the wedding she first met them at. Whereas the Doctor couldn’t go back in his own timestream to change events, Hermione could use magic to do so, but only as long as she was unaware of what exactly occurred.

So, in theory, she could repair the T.A.R.D.I.S-turner and go back to just after she’d been sent away by Karina. The problem being that the device was still undergoing it’s magical maintenance repair spell and was currently unavailable. The glass that had cracked in the hourglass wasn’t normal glass. It was powerfully compressed and concentrated containment spells, and they could possibly take weeks to be repaired by the maintenance spell she’d cast since she was the only caster. It was locked up tight back in her room on the TARDIS under extensive wards, and she would be alerted when the process had finished. Effectively she was just as stuck as Rose, and also desperate to go back and help the Doctor. 

Hermione looked up as Jackie patted her on the shoulder and gave her a small smile before approaching Rose, who was huddled and pouting on the bench seat. She cautiously approached her daughter while Hermione listened from the doorway. “It was never going to work, sweetheart. And the Doctor knew that. He just wanted you to be safe.”

“I can't give up.”

“Lock the door. Walk away.”

“Dad wouldn't give up.”

Jackie frowned. “Well, he's not here, is he? And even if he was, he'd say the same.”

“No, he wouldn't. He'd tell me to try anything. If I could save the Doctor's life, try anything.”

“Well, we're never going to know.”

“Well, I know because I met him. I met Dad.”

Jackie shook her head. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“The Doctor took me back in time, and I met Dad,” she said challengingly. 

“Don't say that.”

“Remember when Dad died? There was someone with him. A girl, a blonde girl. She held his hand. You saw her from a distance, Mum. You saw her! Think about it. That was me. You saw me,” Rose cried. 

“Stop it,” Jackie denied. 

“That's how good the Doctor is.”

“Stop it! Just stop it!” Jackie couldn’t take much more and ran past Hermione and down the street. 

Mickey came forward from the shadows where he’d been watching everything quietly. “There's got to be something else we can do.”

“Mum was right. Maybe we should just lock the door and walk away.”

“I'm not having that. I'm not having you just give up now. No way. We just need something stronger than my car. Something bigger. Something like that,” he said as a big yellow recovery truck pulled up in front of the TARDIS with Jackie at the wheel. 

She hopped down from the cab and handed Mickey the keys. “Right, you've only got this until six o'clock, so get on with it.”

“Mum, where the hell did you get that from?”

“Rodrigo. He owes me a favour. Never mind why, but you were right about your dad, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and it's exactly what he would've done. Now, get on with it before I change my mind.”

Hermione quickly used a reparo on the chain and then decided to cast an unbreakable charm on it. This just has to work.

As Mickey drove and the chain pulled tautly, Rose and Jackie shouted encouragements at him once more, this time in a line. Hermione stood at the ready with her wand. She was determined that this would work and if she had to use magic against the ship she would. Letting the Doctor and Jack die was not an option. 

As the console cracked open a sliver, Hermione waved her wand and helped to blast it all the way open. Rose looked into the heart of the TARDIS from directly in front of the opening, and Hermione couldn’t help but look from off to the side. Streams of golden energy entered Rose’s eyes, infusing her with power, and a few wisps entered Hermione as well. 

The doors to the TARDIS slammed shut and it began to dematerialize and transport them back to Satellite 5, hopefully in time to save the Doctor and Jack. 

 

[Satellite 5]

The TARDIS doors opened to reveal the Doctor, surrounded by Daleks. The Doctor turned to see Rose silhouetted in a blinding golden light with tendrils of energy wisping about. He didn’t even notice Hermione exit the TARDIS after Rose. “What've you done?” he dismayed. 

Rose replied but her voice had a certain otherness that was hard to define. “I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me.”

The Doctor look pained, “You looked into the Time Vortex. Rose, no one's meant to see that.”

The Emperor of the Daleks was watching from the giant viewscreen. “This is the Abomination!”

The surrounded Daleks riled at this and shouted, “Exterminate!”

Rose stopped the deadly beam that was shot at her with merely her hand, though. “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here.”

“Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're going to burn.”

“I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false god.”

The Emperor sneered, “You cannot hurt me. I am immortal.”

She looked at the screen imperiously. “You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them.” She made a gesture with her arms and all of the Daleks in the room slowly disintegrated into atoms. “Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies. The Time War ends.”

Meanwhile, the Emperor screeched, “I will not die. I cannot die!” But his protests were futile as he and his ship disappeared in a golden wave. 

The Doctor turned back to Rose, scared for her. “Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go.”

“How can I let go of this? I bring life,” she cried with another wave of her hands. In another part of the station, Jack was brought back to life with a deep gasp. 

“But this is wrong! You can't control life and death,” the Doctor protested. 

“But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night. But why do they hurt?”

“The power's going to kill you and it's my fault,” the Doctor moaned. 

“I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be.”

The Doctor smiled, “That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?”

Tears fell down Rose’s face. “My head-”

He smiled and opened his arms to her, “Come here.”

“-it's killing me.”

“I think you need a Doctor,” he murmured, bringing her into him and kissing her gently. Hermione watched from the doorway of the ship and felt her heart break. As he kissed Rose the golden energy of the heart of the TARDIS transferred from her eyes to his and she fainted in his arms. Moving her to the side gently he faced the TARDIS and exhaled the energy back into the TARDIS as Hermione scrambled out of the way. 

Gently, the Doctor picked Rose up and carried her bridal fashion into the TARDIS with Hermione following and closing the doors. She just missed Jack racing into control room mere seconds after she closed the door and the ship began to dematerialize, stranding Jack. 

Hermione checked on her cousin and seeing she was just unconscious the witch turned to the Doctor, “What happened to Jack?”

“He’s dead,” the Doctor lied. He’d sensed Jack’s unnatural return to the land of the living, and a primal part of him recoiled and wanted to run from the new abomination. 

“No,” Hermione whimpered, grasping tight to the pendant she wore. She often found herself playing with it for comfort when she was distressed. 

“I’m sorry, I know you were close.”

Hermione just nodded, wiped her eyes and went back to her cousin. 

As the Doctor worked at the controls, Hermione ennervated Rose. The girl woke groggily and asked, “What happened?”

“Don't you remember?” the Doctor asked. He wasn’t sure how much she would recall. 

“It's like there was this singing.”

The Doctor grinned cheekily. “That's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away.”

“I was at home. No, I wasn't, I was in the TARDIS, and there was this light. I can't remember anything else.”

The Doctor stepped further away, a sad smile playing about his lips and he gazed at Rose. “Rose Tyler. I was going take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny.”

“Then, why can't we go?”

“Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this,” he shook his head with a sad smile. 

“You're not making sense.”

“I might never make sense again. I might have two heads or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with-” he explained before he doubled over in pain. 

Alarmed Rose tried to run over to him, but Hermione held her back. “Doctor!”

“Stay away! Keep her away, Hermione. You know what happens next.”

Hermione nodded in understanding but Rose was lost. “Doctor, tell me what's going on.”

His smile was more of a grimace. “I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying.”

“Can't you do something?”

“Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go-”

“Don't say that,” Rose cried. 

“Rose, before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I.”

Golden light burst dramatically from all over the Doctor’s body in a shocking blast. It didn’t last long but it was certainly intense. His whole body changed and suddenly standing there in the same clothes was a different man. This one had shaggy brown hair, sparkling brown eyes, and a thin nose that slanted just a bit to the right. He quickly inspected his body and looked up at the girls. With a bright and cheerful smile, he spoke for the first time in his new voice. “Hello. Okay. Ooo, new teeth. That's weird,” he mumbled, running his tongue over his teeth. Bouncing away from the distraction of a mouthful of new teeth he grinned once more. “So, where was I? Oh, that's right. Barcelona.”


	7. The Christmas Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So seeing as this chapter covers the Christmas Invasion episode, I couldn't resist trying to post this a bit early on Christmas! The next chapter will still be up on Thursday, though. I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter, a bit earlier than scheduled originally. To help balance out the angst I've posted Part 1 (of 2) of Hermione's first meeting of the 10th Doctor in First Meetings! It's a nice long chapter, too, and it connects to this story and this chapter especially. Merry Christmas!
> 
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> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
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> Episode Spoilers: Born Again Webisode, The Christmas Invasion S2E1

 

 

**Rejected Bonds - Chapter 6, The Christmas Invasion**

  
  


[TARDIS]

 

The new Doctor was madly dashing around the console of the TARDIS, flicking switches, pulling levers, and pushing buttons. Checking the monitor he started to set new coordinates. “6 PM... Tuesday...October... 5006... On the way to Barcelona!” he declared, looking up and grinning at Rose who was half concealed behind one of the coral-like pillars. She looked frightened. Hermione was next to her with a hand on her cousin’s shoulder, trying to repress her look of wonder and hope. 

 

The Doctor stepped around the console towards the girls and asked, “Now then... what do I look like?” But he didn’t give them a chance to respond, holding up a hand to silence them. “No, no no, no no no no no no no. No. Don't tell me.” The girls watched bemused, Rose slightly frightened and Hermione with a fond expression, as the Doctor inspected his new body and ran his hand over his face, head, and torso. “Let's see... two legs, two arms, two hands... Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle. Hair! I'm not bald! Oh, Oh! Big hair! Sideburns, I've got sideburns! Or really bad skin. Little bit thinner... That's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it.  I... have got... a mole. I can feel it. Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole.” He turned a little bit and was grinning widely, excited at his discovery. Hermione repressed a grin, she was very familiar with that mole. “That's all right. Love the mole.”

 

He smiled at Hermione but fully grinned at Rose, standing up straight and ready for assessment, with his hair ruffled sexily. “Go on then, tell me. What do you think?”

 

Rose slowly stepped from behind the pillar and asked in a very timid voice, “Who are you?”

 

Hermione winced in sympathy as the Doctor slumped, crestfallen. “I'm the Doctor.”

 

Rose shook her head, she didn’t want to believe him. “No... Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?” Her voice was starting to take on an edge of panic. 

 

The Doctor grimaced. “You saw me, I, I changed,” he pointed to the spot he’d regenerated, “Right in front of you.” 

 

Rose continued to shake her head in denial. “I saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him, like a- a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something.” She stepped towards him, still keeping her distance, but pushed him in the chest. “You're not fooling me.”

 

The Doctor rocked back on his heels, he couldn’t believe that Rose was doubting what she saw with her own eyes. He looked helplessly over at Hermione, knowing she was familiar with his regeneration process from the few discussions they’d had, but she just shrugged and gave him a sad smile. 

 

Rose continued, “I've seen all sorts of things. Nano genes... Gelth... Slitheen... Oh, my God, are you a Slitheen?”

 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her, but calmly assured her, “I'm not a Slitheen.”

 

She was getting upset and began to shout. “Send him back. I'm warning you; send the Doctor back right now!”

 

The Doctor stepped forward, reaching towards Rose but she pulled away. He pleaded, “Rose, it's me. Honestly, it's me.” Rose was staring hard at him, chest rising and falling rapidly in her panic. “I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but... it's still me.”

 

She whispered, “You can't be.”

 

As he stepped even closer he looked straight down into her eyes. “Then how could I remember this? Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies.... oh... such a long time ago. I took your hand,” he took her hand to emphasise his point. Rose glanced between his hand and face. “ I said one word... just one word, I said ‘Run’.”

 

He was gazing fondly at her, pleading silently for her to understand. She looked into his eyes, her own swimming in tears as she finally recognised him. “Doctor,” she whispered.  

 

He grinned brilliantly at her and gently said, “Hello.”

 

Rose sighed and stumbled backwards as the impact of everything that had happened hit her. Meanwhile, the Doctor took off for the other side of the console, passing Hermione and squeezing her shoulder with a smile. Her own smile faltered a bit but went unnoticed.  _ He still doesn’t know _ , she thought sadly to herself. 

 

“And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running,” he rambled, flicking switches as he went. “One time we had to hop. Do you remember? Hopping for our lives.” He was hopping up on down on the spot, smiling and trying to get Rose to laugh, but she’d leant back against the pillar and was just watching him cautiously. “Yeah? All that hopping? Remember hopping for your life? Yeah?! Hop? With the-” he trailed off, enthusiasm ebbing at her lack of reaction. “No?”

 

“Can you change back?”

 

“Do you want me to?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh,” he winced. 

 

“Can you?”

 

“No,” he said sadly, glancing down at the floor briefly. “Do you want to leave?”

 

Shocked, Rose asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

 

He glanced back up and her and quickly rushed, “No! But... your choice... if you want to go home…”

 

She still looked upset so he went back to the console to change the coordinates again. “Cancel Barcelona. Change to... London... the Powell Estate... ah... let's say the 24th of December. Consider it a Christmas present,” he said, looking at her with a very small, sad smile. 

 

Rose edged closer to the console as Hermione hung back, leaning against a pillar. She knew her cousin needed to work through seeing the man she was interested in suddenly change completely. While this was the first actual regeneration Hermione had witnessed, she’d travelled with and met four incarnations of the Doctor at this point, so she wasn’t nearly as shocked as Rose. She also had the advantage of coming from the magical world, where changing your appearance was not difficult or uncommon in the least, glamours, transfiguration, charms, polyjuice, and metamorphmagi all coming to mind. But Rose didn’t have any kind of experience with this abrupt of a change, and Hermione wasn’t sure how she would handle it. 

 

“There,” the Doctor announced, stepping back from the controls and tucking his arms under his armpits in a defensive manner. He was disappointed Rose was taking this so badly. Rose looked at him, to the console, and noticed the TARDIS shudder as it changed directions. 

 

“I’m going home?” 

 

“Up to you. Back to your mum... it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast... no, Christmas! Turkey! Although... having met your mother... nut loaf would be more appropriate.”

 

Rose looked down quickly to hide a smile from this stranger. 

 

“Was that a smile?”

 

“No.”

 

“That was a smile,” he said knowingly. 

 

“No, it wasn't.”

 

“You smiled,” he teased. 

 

“No, I didn't.”

 

“Oh, come on, all I did was change, I didn't-” but he was cut off, gagging as the TARDIS shuddered. 

 

Rose looked at him questioningly, “What?”

 

Hermione stepped closer, concern etched across her face. 

 

“I said I didn't-” but he gagged again and made retching noises. “Uh oh.”

 

“Doctor?” Hermione asked gently, worry coating her tone. “What’s wrong?”

 

A golden mist came out of the Doctor’s mouth and his eyes widened. “Oh... the change is going a bit wrong.” He fell to his knees, face contorted in pain. 

 

Rose was concerned. “Look... maybe we should go back. Let's go and find Captain Jack, he'd know what to do.”

 

“Gah, he's busy! He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth,” the Doctor explained impatiently. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.  _ Which is it? Is Jack alive or dead? Did he lie to me, or to Rose? _

 

A lever on the console caught his eye and he mumbled, “I haven't used this one in years.”

 

With a flick, the TARDIS shuddered violently and all the occupants were nearly knocked to their feet. 

 

“What're you doing?!” Rose cried out. 

 

The Doctor was looking a bit manic. “Putting on a bit of speed! That's it!” He turned more knobs while the girls tried to grip the console more securely. “My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl! Faster! Wanna to break the time limit?!”

 

At his increasingly erratic behaviour, both girls were looking angry and scared. Rose shouted at him, “Stop it!”

 

“Ah, don't be so dull... let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through that vortex!” He sounded crazy. Catching Rose’s eye for a moment he forced himself to calm. “The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself,” he grimaced in pain, “Ah, my head-” he spang up to a standing position again, voice crazed once more. “Faster! Let's open those engines!”

 

An alarm bell started ringing loudly, echoing in the large console room. Rose looked around, frightened, “What's that?”

 

The Doctor appeared next to her and sounded delighted as he exclaimed, “We're gonna crash land!”

 

As he laughed maniacally, Rose shouted over the alarm bell, “Well then, do something!”

 

The Doctor was running around giggling, though. “Too late! Out of control! Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!”

 

“You're gonna kill us!”

 

“Hold on tight, here we go! Christmas Eve!” 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

[Powell Estate]

 

Jackie and Mickey ran into each other outside of the apartment buildings, both looking around wildly to find the source of a very familiar sound. It had been a month since they’d last seen or heard from Rose and they were frantic with worry over what might have happened to her and Hermione. 

 

“Mickey!”

 

“Jackie, it's the TARDIS!”

 

“I know, I know, I heard it. She's alive, Mickey. I said so, didn't I? She's alive!” 

 

“Just shut up a minute,” Mickey tried to shush Jackie. 

 

“Well, where is it then?” the blonde woman asked impatiently. 

 

Suddenly the TARDIS came shooting out the vortex in mid-air, flying crazily and knocking into buildings and bouncing off a block of flats. Finally, it crashed into a set of waste bins and the door opened, revealing a tall, thin man, with shaggy brown hair, dressed in the Doctor’s clothes. The pair stared at him in confusion as he spoke. “Here we are then, London. Earth. The Solar System. We did it. Jackie. Mickey. Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on. Wait there. I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you, something important. What was it? No, hold on, hold on. Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush. Oh, I know! Merry Christmas!” With that, he collapsed onto the ground. 

 

Rose and Hermione came out of the TARDIS, locking it behind them. Rose looked between the man on the ground and her mother and boyfriend. “What happened? Is he all right?”

 

Mickey shrugged. “I don't know, he just keeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?”

 

Nodding to the man on the ground, Rose replied, “That's him, right in front of you. That's the Doctor.”

 

Jackie frowned. “What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who?”

  
  


[The Tyler's Flat]

 

Mickey and Rose managed to carry the Doctor up to Rose’s bedroom in the Tyler flat, with Rose glaring at Hermione periodically for not using magic to help. But Hermione just shrugged at her. She’d explained that she wasn’t allowed to do magic in front of muggles, and while she could explain about the magical world to Jackie seeing as they were family, out in the courtyard was entirely too open to be using magic. 

 

Once they had him on the bed and Jackie had gone off to find a stethoscope Hermione used magic to change him into a pair of pyjamas and tucked him in. It didn’t take long for Jackie to return. “Here we go. Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, a medical student, and she was fast asleep, so I just took it. Though I still say we should take him to hospital.”

 

Rose shook her head. “We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race. No! Shush!” She urged her mother to be quiet while she listened to both of the Doctor’s hearts. “Both working.”

 

“What do you mean, both?”

 

“Well, he's got two hearts.”

 

“Oh, don't be stupid.”

 

“He does, aunt Jackie. Rose is telling the truth.”

 

“Anything else he's got two of?” Jackie asked looking at him consideringly. Hermione chuckled at her aunt but Rose frowned at her mother and told her to leave him alone. 

 

The two blonde women left and Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, carefully sweeping his fringe from his face. As he exhaled from a particularly deep breath some of the golden energy from the TARDIS escaped his mouth and flew out of the flat. She ran a diagnostic spell on him but found that while he wasn’t doing well there wasn’t anything she could do for him with magic. Feeling helpless she made herself comfortable on the bed next to him and just held his hand. She didn’t want to leave his side. She could feel her end of the bond thrumming from the close contact. 

 

It was fairly quiet in the flat, she could hear Jackie and Rose talking quietly in the kitchen, and a news report on the television in the living room. She could just make out the sounds of a press conference about the Guinevere One Space Probe that had been launched back in May. It was due to reach Mars, finally, and there was a great deal of excitement and pride that British workmanship was exploring the solar system. Eventually Rose came back to the room to check on the Doctor and let Hermione know she was going out with Mickey for awhile. Mickey asked if Hermione wanted to go shopping with them but she just shook her head. 

 

An hour or so later there was a knock on the door and a Christmas tree was delivered, fully decorated. The delivery people placed it in the living room and Jackie began the process of taking down her tree and putting away all of the ornaments. Both Hermione and Jackie assumed the tree was something Rose had purchased and had delivered, and didn’t give it much thought. 

 

Hermione gently played with the Doctor’s hair, lost in her thoughts. _ What if he still can’t sense the bond? Is there something wrong with it on his end? I know I have an ache on my end, but that’s probably from him chasing Rose. _ She shoved aside her increasingly bitter and morose thoughts, they weren’t going to help, and ran another diagnostic on him only to find he was in the same stable but unwell condition. 

 

Jackie was wandering around the flat, putting away ornaments and putting up extra decorations now that she’d have company for the holiday, all the while she jabbered on the phone. She put two mugs of tea on the bedside table next to Hermione, patted her on the shoulder and left the room as another cloud of energy was exhaled, only noticed by the curly-haired witch sitting guard on the bed. 

 

Suddenly Rose and Mickey burst through the front door of the flat, Rose shouting at her mum to get off the phone. As Mickey and Rose rapidly discussed where they could go to hide out Hermione entered the room. Jackie was irritated at Rose for hanging up on her friend and upset at the talk of leaving suddenly. “No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?”

 

Rose had been looking around the room trying to think up a plan when she noticed the new tree. “Mum. Where'd you get that tree? That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?”

 

“I thought it was you.”

 

“How can it be me?”

 

Hermione had a sinking feeling in her gut and stepped back into the doorway of the Doctor’s room, pulling out her wand, ready to protect him if need be. 

 

“Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!”

 

“No, that wasn't me.”

 

“Then who was it?”

 

The new tree lit up by itself and started playing Jingle Bells. Rose just groaned, “Oh, you're kidding me.” As sections of the tree started to rotate in alternating directions the tree started to move towards the group. But it didn’t just move, it started chopping through the coffee table. 

 

Mickey pushed the Tyler’s behind him. “Get out! Go, go! Get out!” He picked up a nearby chair to fend off the spinning tree as Jackie and Rose ran for the door, but Rose stopped as she remembered the man laying in her bed. 

 

“We've got to save the Doctor.”

 

“What're you doing?” her mum demanded. 

 

“We can't just leave him.”

 

Jackie was looking back at Mickey in the living room as the tree shredded the legs of the chair. “Mickey! Leave it! Get out! Get out! Get out of there!”

 

Jackie tried to drag Rose out the door but she was fighting a losing battle. Mickey soon dragged both women into the room as the tree headed for them. Blocking the door with a wardrobe they didn’t notice Hermione casting charms to keep the tree out. She was ready to blast it to bits, but her family was in the way and she didn’t want any debris to hit the unconscious Doctor. Rose ran around the bed and leant next to the Doctor’s head, whispering, “Help me.” She was shocked when he suddenly sat up and aimed his sonic screwdriver at the tree and it exploded. Hermione threw up a shield to protect them from the flying mess. 

 

“Remote control. But who's controlling it?” Leaping from the bed the Doctor reached for a dressing gown lying nearby and led the group outside where they saw three Santa’s on the ground, gazing up at them. One was holding a radio controller. 

 

Mickey recognised the Santa’s from the shopping plaza that had tried to kill himself and Rose. “That's them. What are they?”

 

Rose shushed him while the Doctor looked sternly at the Santas and aimed his screwdriver at them. They backed away slowly and were beamed up into space. 

 

Mickey laughed. “They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off.” 

 

The Doctor, however, looked grim. “Pilot fish.”

 

“What?” Rose asked. 

 

“They were just pilot fish.” He soon cringed in pain, though. 

 

“What's wrong?” Rose asked, kneeling down next to him. 

 

“You woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy.” As he said this he exhaled yet more golden energy. “You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of ow!”

 

Jackie was worried and looking around for anything that might help the Doctor. 

 

“My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-”

 

“What do you need?”

 

“I need-”

 

“Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me,” Jackie coached. 

 

“I need-”

 

“Painkillers?”

 

“I need-”

 

“Do you need aspirin?”

 

“I need-”

 

“Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?”

 

“I need-”

“Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?”

 

“I need-”

 

“Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?”

 

“I need you to shut up,” he finally managed to get out, completely irritated with her interruptions. 

 

Jackie looked affronted. “Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?”

 

“We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then. Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?”

 

“Oh, that's Howard. Sorry.”

 

“He keeps apples in his dressing gown?”

 

“He gets hungry.”

 

“What, he gets hungry in his sleep?”

 

“Sometimes.”

 

“Argh! Brain collapsing. The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something, something, something is coming.” He passed out and collapsed on the floor of the hallway. This time instead of making Rose and Mickey carried him back, Hermione looked around to check there was no one else around and cast a  _ mobilicorpus _ to levitate him back to the bed. Jackie’s eyebrows rose into her hair and her mouth gaped open. 

 

“I’ll explain in just a moment aunt Jackie, let me just get him settled back into bed.”

 

Back in the flat, Rose was tending to the Doctor in her room while Hermione explained magic to Jackie. She was worried her aunt would be upset by the news, and she was a bit wary of magic but in the end she decided, much like Mickey had, that given time travelling space aliens and everything they’d seen, magic wasn’t too much to accept. She was, however, a bit upset that she was only learning about Hermione being a witch now. Hermione shrugged apologetically and explained that only close family are allowed to know the secret, and they hadn’t been all that close when Hermione herself had discovered she was a witch. 

 

Mickey was looking up pilot fish on the internet when Rose came back into the living room from tending to the Doctor. “He's worse. Just one heart beating.”

 

Hermione sagged, upset that there was nothing she knew of that could help her soul mate. 

 

In the background, the television was still on, and a broadcast of the progress of the space probe was being reported. The man in charge of the mission was making an announcement. “We're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success.”

 

A reporter asked, “But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?”

 

“Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks.”

 

Mickey piped up when he found the information he was looking for. “Here we go, pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish.”

 

“Do you mean like sharks?” Rose asked. 

 

“Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them, now we get that.”

 

“Something is coming. How close?”

 

“There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from their daddy.”

 

“So, it's close?”

 

Meanwhile, Jackie was watching the first images coming from the space probe. “Funny sort of rocks.”

 

As the image cleared by degrees, Rose looked up. “That's not rocks.”

 

The newsreader announced, “This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning.”

 

As the image cleared it showed a red-eyed alien with a head like a goat’s skull that made growls at the screen. The image cut away quickly and a series of announcers across different channels reiterated that the face of an alien had indeed been broadcast live across the world on BBC1 and that the human race now had proof that alien life exists. 

 

Mickey was still at work on his laptop. “Rose. Take a look. I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way.”

 

“Coming for what, though? The Doctor?”

 

“I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us”

 

Mickey managed to pull up a clear image of the group of aliens and asked if Rose had seen them before, but she just shook her head. 

 

“I don't understand what they're saying. The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am.”

 

“So, why isn't it doing it now?” Mickey wondered. 

 

“I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's, he's broken.”

 

Hermione was impressed her cousin had made that connection. 

 

Several hours later Jackie had gone to watch over the Doctor while Rose, Hermione and Mickey stayed in the living room. While Hermione fidgeted with her wand and the pendant she wore, Rose paced the room growing increasingly frustrated with the situation. “The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor, the proper Doctor, he'd wake up. He'd save us.”

 

“You really love him, don't you?” Rose turned to Mickey and hugged him but Hermione got to her feet, furious with her cousin. 

 

“That is utter shite, Rose! Of course, he’s the proper Doctor! Just because you refuse to accept the fact that he’s changed his appearance doesn’t make him a different person!” She knew it was more complicated than that. In fact, he was a different, new person, but underneath it all, all the faces he’d ever worn, he was still the Doctor. The heart of him as a person would remain constant. 

 

“Oh, what would you know about it, Hermione? You’ve only been travelling with us for what, a month?” Rose scoffed. 

 

“You don’t know the first thing about the Doctor.”

 

“Yeah I do! It’s you who don’t know nothing about him! You’re just some new hanger on.”

 

Hermione scowled at her cousin. “I know more about that man than you could ever hope to understand. I’ve also travelled with him before-”

 

“No, you haven’t! Don’t lie. The Doctor would have told me, and he said he didn’t know you.”

 

“That’s because he didn’t know me yet. I’ve travelled with future versions of him!”

 

“You’re just mental you are. And jealous. You’re jealous because he likes me and not you!”

 

At that Hermione held back her tears, knowing that it was true in a sense, the Doctor didn’t feel anything for her as far as she could tell, and she was jealous. She stormed out of the flat and leant against the rails of the walkway outside, struggling to get her emotions under control. Deciding she needed some space from her cousin she went down to the TARDIS to monitor any new broadcasts from there. The ship would pick up a larger number of signals and more information from confidential sources than the television in the flat, or even the internet. While watching the monitors she watched in horror as roughly one-third of the population of the planet proceeded to climb to the top of tall towers, buildings, anything tall enough that a fall would likely kill them.  _ Merlin, I wonder if this is affecting the magical population as well? I wish the TARDIS scanners could pick up the enclaves, but the magic creates too much interference for a clear signal. I hope everyone is safe. _

 

Soon a broadcast was airing around the world. Harriet Jones, the British Prime Minister was making an announcement.  “Ladies and gentlemen, if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been cancelled,” here she paused and looked off screen, “Did we ask about the royal family? Oh. They're on the roof. But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us. God help us.”

 

Suddenly a sonic wave hit the city and glass shattered everywhere. The TARDIS felt the blast but Hermione was safe inside. Wondering what was going on she headed to the doors to look outside for herself. People were cowering in fear, amidst huge messes of glass all around, pointing at the sky. Looking up she felt a lead weight in her stomach. A gigantic spaceship that looked partly like a huge rock formation was hovering over the city of London. 

 

Hermione wondered if she should go back up to the flat and check on the Doctor and her family, but soon she saw them heading towards her and the TARDIS. Mickey and Rose were struggling under the dead weight of the unconscious Doctor once more, and Jackie was lagging behind carrying what looked like bags of food. She held the doors open as the group brought in their burdens. 

 

Mickey looked towards the console and then to Rose, “No chance you could fly this thing?”

 

“Not anymore, no.”

 

“Well, you did it before.”

 

“I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head like it's forbidden. Try that again and I think the Universe rips in half.”

 

“Ah, better not, then.”

 

“Maybe not.”

 

“So, what do we do? Just sit here?”

 

“That's as good as it gets.”

 

Mickey then turned to Hermione, “Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?”

 

“Yes, he taught me how, but she’s not responding. It’s like she’s sick, just like the Doctor. They’re connected and something is wrong with both of them.” 

 

Rose scowled at her cousin and Mickey while Jackie was pouring cups of tea for everyone. “Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea.”

 

Rose sneered, “Mmm, the solution to everything.”

 

Jackie chided her, “Now, stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food.”

 

Mickey took a sip from his cup. “Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British. How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?”

 

“I don't know. It sort of tunes itself.”

 

Hermione went over to the monitor. “Here, let me.” She fiddled with some buttons and they picked up an odd pattern on the scanner. As they were looking at the monitor they never noticed that the TARDIS had been beamed up to the alien spaceship. 

 

Mickey mused, “Maybe it's a distress signal.”

 

Rose was feeling extremely cynical. “A fat lot of good that's going to do.”

 

“Are you going to be a misery all the time?” He glanced over at Hermione who was purposefully ignoring Rose. 

 

“Yes.”

 

Mickey just rolled his eyes. “You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking.”

 

“Where is she? I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there.”

 

“Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine.”

 

“Why don't you tell her yourself?”

 

“I'm not that brave.” Hermione chuckled at that. She wasn’t that brave either. 

 

“Oh, I don't know-” Rose said as she stepped outside, but she was cut off suddenly and screamed in fright. 

 

“Rose?!” Mickey and Hermione called. He dropped the flask of tea he’d been about to pour a second cup from and ran out the doors. 

 

Rose was shouting at the Sycorax, “Get off! Get off me!” When she saw Mickey chasing after her she warned him, “The door! Close the door!”

 

Mickey barely managed to close the door before a Sycorax grabbed him, too. 

 

Hermione watched the doors slam shut from further back in the console room and ran her hands through her unruly curls.  _ What to do, what to do! _ She went to the monitors to see if she could see a feed of what was happening, but the TARDIS was still malfunctioning with the Doctor out of commission. She startled badly when the Doctor sat up quickly, not having noticed him stir. Hand to her chest to calm her racing heart she played with her pendant as she peering cautiously at the man. He was looking around, a bit bewildered as to why he was on the floor of the TARDIS and not in the Tyler’s flat. 

 

“Doctor?”

 

Looking up at her he grinned brilliantly. “Hermione!” 

 

At his lively response, she felt her heart sing with joy. Soon she was next to him on the floor and hugging him tightly, kissing his face all over. 

 

Embarrassed and uncomfortable, he pushed her away gently at the shoulders. “Erm, Hermione, I’m happy to see you too, but what’s going on? Why are we in the TARDIS?”

 

She felt her heart clench at the uncomfortable look on his face and schooled her emotions. Now wasn’t the time to go feeling rejected. Rose and Mickey were in danger. 

 

Hermione quickly filled him in on the alien spaceship they had been teleported to, and bracingly told him of Rose being captured. He frowned fiercely at her, like it was her fault her cousin had stepped out the doors without paying attention, stood up and straightened out the dressing gown he was wearing. “Well then, let’s go get her back.” Hermione merely nodded and they went to the doors. 

 

He threw both doors open dramatically and strutted out standing tall. Smiling at Rose, he asked cheekily, “Did you miss me?”

 

The head Sycorax cracked a whip at the Doctor, but he caught the end and pulled it out of the hand of the alien. “You could have put someone's eye out with that.”

 

The alien was outraged. “How dare!”

 

The Doctor just ignored him and grabbed a club off another nearby Sycorax and broke it across his knee. “Now, you, just wait. I'm busy. Mickey, hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life. Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses. Now, first thing's first. Be honest, how do I look?”

 

Rose looked at him bewildered. “Er, different.”

 

“Good different or bad different?” 

 

She shrugged. “Just different.”

 

A very serious look settled on his new features. “Am I ginger?”

 

“No, you're just sort of brown.”

 

He spun away in disappointment. “I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler, a fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me,” he looked shocked at himself, “Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger.”

 

Harriet Jones interrupted him. “I'm sorry. Who is this?”

 

The Doctor spun around to her and gave a winning smile. “I'm the Doctor.”

 

Rose just nodded, “He's the Doctor.”

 

“But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?”

 

“I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything.”

 

Harriet shook her head. “But you can't be.”

 

He smirked at her. “Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own.”

 

“Oh, my God,” she gasped. 

 

“Did you win the election?”

 

“Landslide majority.”

 

The Sycorax in charge was annoyed at being ignored. “If I might interrupt.”

 

The Doctor continued to smile as he turned to the alien. “Yes, sorry. Hello, big fellow.”

 

“Who exactly are you?”

 

“Well, that's the question.”

 

“I demand to know who you are!” the alien shouted. 

 

The Doctor just shouted right back, “I don't know! See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy? Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?” He paused in his rambling to open the base of the pillar under the big red button. “And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this.” With that, he slammed his hand down on the button as Rose and Harriet both shouted a protest. 

 

Alex, Harriet’s aide was horrified. “You killed them!”

 

The Doctor turned to the alien with a smirk. “What do you think, big fellow? Are they dead?”

 

“We allow them to live,” the Sycorax said, narrowing its red eyes. 

 

The Doctor scoffed, “Allow? You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong.”

 

The alien sneered at him, “Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force.”

 

“Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that, of course, you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than. No, hold on. Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!”

 

Hermione had to force herself to smother her giggle at the Lion King reference.  _ Now is not the time for hysterical giggling, get it together! _

 

“Or what?” the alien asked belligerently. 

 

“Or,” he started, pulling a sword from a nearby alien and running back towards the group standing in front of the TARDIS. He held the sword aloft and announced, “I challenge you.”

 

The assembled Sycorax all laughed at him. 

 

“Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?”

 

“You stand as this world's champion.”

 

“Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up.” He quickly doffed his dressing down and tossed it to Rose. Facing the leader of the Sycorax once more, he asked, “So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?”

 

At the apparent insult the leader’s mind was made up. “For the planet?”

 

“For the planet,” the Doctor agreed. 

 

A moment later they were clashing swords and Rose cried, “Look out!”

 

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, that helps. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks.”

 

It was obvious that the alien was the more experienced swordsman, forcing the Doctor to retreat up a tunnel where he pressed a button on the wall. “Bit of fresh air?”

 

They fought fiercely, swords clashing and glinting in the sunlight. A breeze ruffled the Doctor’s shaggy hair. He was driven back to the edge of the ship and hit on the nose, but called out to the others, “Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet.”

 

He was knocked down and the Sycorax hovered over him, making a mighty slash with his sword. The Doctor’s right hand and the sword plummeted towards the ground far below, and he gaped at his sleeve, now missing its appendage. “You cut my hand off.” 

 

He managed to get up using his left arm and stood tall, facing his combatant. “And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this.” A moment later, with a glow of golden energy, a new hand was grown in place of the missing one, astonishing everyone. 

 

The alien leader backed up a step. “Witchcraft,” he accused. Hermione just smirked from near the doorway. 

 

The Doctor smirked, waving his fingers. “Time Lord.”

 

Rose shouted, “Doctor!” as she threw him another sword, which he deftly caught in the air. 

 

“Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?”

 

She beamed, “No arguments from me!”

 

The Doctor took up a fighting stance, both hands on his new sword and smiled ferally at his opponent. “Want to know the best bit? This new hand? It's a fighting hand!”

 

He charged forward, disarming the Sycorax and knocking him to the edge of the ship, London far below them. “I win.”

 

“Then kill me.”

 

“I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?”

 

Taking a moment to weigh his options, the Sycorax reluctant agreed. 

 

“Swear on the blood of your species,” the Doctor demanded. 

 

“I swear.”

 

“There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow.”

 

Harriet clapped in happiness. “Bravo!”

 

Rose was beaming proudly at the new Doctor. “That says it all. Bravo!”

 

With a confident smile the Doctor shrugged one shoulder, “Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams,” he stated as Rose helped him put the dressing gown back on. “Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here? A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mother's. He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?”

 

Behind him, the Sycorax leader got up, grabbed his sword and ran at the Doctor’s back. He didn’t make it very far before the Doctor threw the satsuma at the control panel on the hull of the ship, causing a wing to open up and the leader to fall to his death. 

 

With a scowl, he kept walking, “No second chances. I'm that sort of a man.”

 

Once back inside in front of the assembled aliens, the Doctor addressed the crowd. “By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It is defended.” 

 

With that, the Doctor, Harriet, Alex, Rose, Mickey, and Hermione all entered the TARDIS which was quickly beamed back down to London. 

  
  


[London Street]

 

Stepping outside, Rose was looking around. “Where are we?”

 

Mickey recognised the area. “We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!”

 

The Doctor shushed everyone, “Wait a minute, wait a minute.” They all looked up and watched as the spaceship flew away. 

 

The group cheered and hugged. The Doctor walked up to the smiling Prime Minister. “My Doctor,” she simply said. 

 

“Prime Minister,” he replied and then hugged her. 

 

“Absolutely the same man. Are there many more out there?”

 

“Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it.”

 

This sounded ominous to Harriet, who frowned. 

 

Jackie came running around the corner shouting for her daughter, who ran up and hugged her tightly. The Doctor smiled at the pair fondly, “Oh, talking of trouble.”

 

“Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!” Jackie gushed. 

 

“You did it too! It was the tea. Fixed his head,” Rose explained as Alex answered a phone call a little bit away from the group. 

 

“That was all I needed, cup of tea,” the Doctor confirmed. 

 

“I said so,” Jackie nodded. 

 

“Look at him,” Rose said proudly, going to stand next to him. 

 

“Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor? Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!”

 

“Come here, you,” he said, pulling the two blondes in for a group hug. He glanced up to see Hermione standing a few feet away, a sad smile playing at her lips. His own smile faltered briefly, recalling her enthusiastic greeting when he’d awoken. He knew he’d have to talk to her soon. 

 

Alex stepped up next to Harriet, “It's a message from Torchwood. They say they're ready.”

 

Watching the cheerful group, Harriet debated with herself for a moment. “Tell them to fire.”

 

Alex stepped back and told the person on the phone, “Fire at will.”

 

A moment later a series of five green beams lit up the sky, met, and fired into space, destroying the Sycorax ship with a mighty boom. 

 

The assembled group had looks ranging from horror, confusion, and rage. The Doctor stomped over to Harriet. “That was murder.”

 

She stood tall and tilted her chin up, “That was defence. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago.”

 

“But they were leaving.”

 

“You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case, we have to defend ourselves.”

 

“Britain's Golden Age,” the Doctor sneered sarcastically. 

 

“It comes with a price.”

 

The look in his eyes was colder than ice. “I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race.”

 

Harriet was outraged. “Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf.”

 

“Then I should have stopped you.”

 

“What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?”

 

He glared at her. “Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your government with a single word.”

 

She shook her head, not believing him for a moment. “You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that.”

 

He nodded, a serious look etched in his features. “No, you're right. Not a single word, just six.”

 

“I don't think so.”

 

“Six words.”

 

“Stop it!”

 

“Six.”

 

He then stepped over to Alex and whispered in his ear, “Don't you think she looks tired?”

 

With that the Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and Hermione left, heading back to the Tyler’s flat. 

 

Harriet raced over to her aide. “What did he say?”

 

“Oh, well, nothing, really,” Alex said, looking confused. 

 

“What did he say?”

 

“Nothing. I don't know,” he insisted, looking consideringly at the Prime Minister. 

 

Harriet turned back towards the retreated group. “Doctor! Doctor, what did you? What was that? What did he say? What did you say, Doctor? Doctor! I'm sorry.”

  
  


[Tyler Flat and TARDIS]

 

Back in the Tyler’s flat, a Christmas dinner was being prepared, a small turkey with trimmings. Mickey was carving the turkey while Rose and her Mum pulled on Christmas crackers. 

 

Hermione and the Doctor, however, were in the TARDIS. He’d asked her to come with him while he picked out a new outfit. Both were browsing through the stacks and stacks of clothes in the multi-level wardrobe room until Hermione ran across a familiar brown pinstripe suit. She pulled it off the rack and held it out to the Doctor who looked at it for a moment before his face lit up. Glancing around he pulled a long brown coat off a rack and went to change. 

 

He came back, hands in his pockets and checked himself out in the mirror, catching Hermione watching him in the reflection he smiled, “What do you think?”

 

“Perfect.”

 

His smile faltered at the hopeful look on her face. “So, you were, um, enthusiastic earlier. You know, when I woke.”

 

“I was relieved to see you were alright.” 

 

He heard multiple meanings in her words. He figured now was the best time they would get for having this discussion, with Rose up in the flat with her mum and Mickey. “Who are you to me, Hermione? Because you know me. You knew about my regenerations, you knew I’m a time lord, you know a lot. But how? You’ve evaded answering anytime it possibly came up, but I need to know.”

 

She smiled sadly. “Spoilers.”

 

“Not good enough. Who are you to me?”

 

Frowning, she quickly schooled her face and worked to keep it frozen in a blank state. “You don’t want to know. Trust me.”

 

“No, if you want to keep travelling with us I’m demanding some sort of answer.”

 

Biting her lip, she looked at her shoes and her hand drifted towards her pendant. But she dropped her hand and gripped them together tightly, gathering her Gryffindor courage to look him in the eye. “I’m your soulmate.”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a myth. And you’re a human, you can’t be my soulmate.”

 

“Well, it’s true. You told me yourself, a long time ago. Well for me. It obviously hasn’t happened for you yet.”

 

“And it won’t. Time can be rewritten,” he said coldly. 

 

Hermione froze in place, fighting to keep still as she felt strands of her end of the bond jerk sharply, snap and recoil. She wanted to scream in agony and fall to the ground but she locked her knees and gripped her hands together so tight they turned white. “I see.”

 

He raked his hand through his shaggy brown locks and looked pleadingly at her. He’d felt a twinge in his chest and wanted to take back his harsh words, but he couldn’t. He passed off the feeling as guilt at hurting a friend. “Look, I know you’re working on repairing your time turner, right?” She nodded, lips going thin as she tried to not blink. She didn’t want to shed any tears in front of him because she knew she’d never stop. “You’re welcome to travel with me and Rose until it’s repaired, but then I’d like you to go. Or I can just drop you off back in your correct time? It was what? Four months or so ago from when we are?”

 

“The T.A.R.D.I.S-turner will be repaired in another week or two, the wards will let me know when. Then I just have to cast the portkey spell on it. I’ll leave then. I got into this mess with magical time travel and I don’t want to risk creating some sort of paradox by returning through other means if it can be helped.” Her voice was flat, belying none of the screaming emotions she was feeling. He’d cringed at the name of her device, knowing she’d obviously taken the name from his ship. 

 

“Look, I’m not saying I know what my personal future holds, Hermione, but I can’t promise it will all work out the way you remember it. You somehow remember the paradox from when we first met, when Pete Tyler died, and no one but Rose and myself were meant to remember that happened. You’re an enigma. So you may remember things that happened to you from before, or it might change. I really don’t know.” 

 

She shook her head, glaring at him. “I don’t care. Honestly, right now I don’t even know what I want to have happen. But I’ll be gone in a couple weeks.” She then turned around and walked away with a stiff gait as quickly as she could manage. 

 

He looked sadly at her retreating figure, knowing she was hurt, and feeling a coldness settle in his chest. “I’m sorry Hermione. I’m so sorry.”

 

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his new coat and went up to the flat to enjoy some Christmas dinner with Jackie, Mickey, and his Rose. He wasn’t sure if Hermione would join them or not, now. 

 

Hermione had returned to her rooms in the TARDIS to check on the time turner. The diagnostic spells said that it needed at least another week before the magically condensed protective spells were solidified. She knew she risked magical exhaustion when it came to being the sole caster of the modified portkey spell, but she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Wiping tears from her face she saw her psychic paper had started to glow. It was warm to the touch, meaning she had a message!  _ But Jack is the only one who could message me this way. _ She quickly flipped it open and the tears she’d been partly successful holding back began to stream down her face. 

 

_ “Kitten, I saw what happened in London, are you okay? Are you with the Doctor?” _

 

She cried in relief knowing that Jack was alive! And near enough to have seen what had happened with the Sycorax!

 

She quickly responded, _ Jack! I’m so pleased to hear from you! The Doctor told me you were dead, but he told Rose you were rebuilding the Earth in 200,100. I wasn’t sure what to believe! _

 

_ “Oh Hermione I’m so glad you’re alright! You are aren’t you?!” _

 

_ Yes, I’m alright. I’m still with the Doctor. Oh my god Jack, I’m so sorry! We left you on Satellite 5! _

 

_ “It’s okay, kitten, you didn’t know. I was dead but something brought me back to life. I just missed the TARDIS as it dematerialized.” _

 

_ How did you get back to the 21st Century?  _

 

_ “I used my vortex manipulator. But it malfunctioned. I wound up in 1869 and was stuck when it burnt out.” _

 

_ But Jack, that’s 136 years ago...How, how are you still alive?? _

 

_ “Long story short, I can’t die.” _

 

_ Oh, my god. I’m so sorry- _

 

_ “No, don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong you wonderful witch! I’ve been waiting around and biding my time until I might run into you and the Doctor again.”  _

 

_ I’m not sure if he knows you’re alive or not. He either lied to me, or to Rose… _

 

_ “I don’t know either. But Hermione, I’ve wanted, no,  _ **_needed_ ** _ to tell you this for a very very long time. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you when you said Rose tried to kill you.” _

 

_ Jack that was yesterday for me, I’d really rather not talk about it right now- _

 

_ “No, I need to apologize. After I was stranded I went back through the archive footage, I watched the broadcast. I saw what you were trying to tell me, but it was too late and I couldn’t apologize.” _

 

_ Jack- _

 

_ “NO! I should have believed you. I was wrong to doubt you like I did, and I’ve had an incredibly long time to regret my actions. I’m sorry Hermione.” _

 

_ It’s okay Jack. _

 

_ “Not yet it’s not, but this is a start. I tried to contact you with the psychic papers but you never responded, I wasn’t sure if there was a limit to the distance or time that they would work.” _

 

_ No, no limits. But it was in my room while I was running around helping after the Doctor’s regeneration- _

 

_ “Wait, he regenerated? As in YOUR Doctor now?” _

 

_ Yes… _

 

_ “That’s great! Does he recognize your bond now? Is he going to carry you off into the sunset? ;)”  _

 

_ Jack, he’s asked that I leave as soon as the T.A.R.D.I.S-turner is repaired...which will be in a week or two. He wants to rewrite time and have nothing to do with me… _

 

There was a long pause.  _ “Oh kitten, I’m so sorry Hermione. Is, is there anything I can do?” _

 

_ No, Jack, but thank you. Just talking to you and knowing you’re alive and potentially accessible helps.  _

 

_ “You’ll be returning to when you left right? It was August 2005 right?” _

 

_ Yes _

 

_ “Well, after you’ve caught up to now, Christmas 2005, contact me again. I know that will be a few months for you yet, but we don’t want to cause any unnecessary paradoxes.” _

 

_ I’d like that Jack. I’m sure I’m going to need a friend.  _

 

_ “I’m working for Torchwood in Cardiff, it’s actually right underneath where the TARDIS parks to refuel on the rift.” _

 

_ So you were there, below us when Margaret tried to blow up the planet? _

 

_ “Yes, but I knew I couldn’t interfere. Timelines. But you know where I am now, and I want you to come and find me, kitten. I love you, and I’m here for you, even if your soulmate is being a fool.” _

 

_ I love you too, Jack, and I’ve missed you, even if it’s only been a day for me since I’ve seen you. I’ll find you when Christmas 2005 comes around again.  _

 

_ “You take care of yourself, Hermione. xoxo” _

 

_ You too, Jack. xoxo _

  
  


Back up in the flat, the group ate and laughed, and Hermione decided to join them, burying her feelings.  _ I’ve had seven years of no contact with him, I’m used to feeling unwanted by him at this point, I guess he really did decide he wanted nothing to do with me. But no matter _ , she tried to reassure herself.  _ I’ll survive this too. _

 

On the television they saw a conference being held, with Harriet Jones defending herself from reporters: 

 

_ “Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?” _

_ “No. Now, can we talk about other things?” _

_ “Is it true you're unfit for office?” _

_ “Look, there is nothing wrong with my health. I don't know where these stories are coming from. And a vote of no confidence is completely unjustified.” _

_ “Are you going to resign?” _

_ “On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine.” _

 

The phone rang and Jackie answered it, quickly hanging up and addressing everyone. “It's Beth. She says go and look outside.”

 

“Why?” Rose wanted to know. 

 

“I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!”

 

The group put on warm clothes and made their way outside and downstairs, where they admired the white flakes covering the ground and falling from the sky, as streaks of light crisscrossed the sky above. 

 

Rose looked up in wonder. “Oh, it's beautiful. What are they, meteors?”

 

The Doctor couldn’t smile, however. “It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash.”

 

Rose’s smile fell. “Okay, not so beautiful.”

 

Taking a deep breath the Doctor remarked, “This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new.”

 

“And what about you? What are you going to do next?”

 

“Well, back to the TARDIS. Same old life,” he said with a shrug. 

 

Biting her lip, Rose asked what she was scared to know the answer to. “On your own?”

 

His eyes widened, “Why, don't you want to come?”

 

“Well, yeah,” she said, relieved. 

 

“Do you, though?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“I just thought, because I changed.”

 

“Yeah, I thought, because you changed you might not want me anymore,” she murmured. 

 

He beamed at her, “Oh, I'd love you to come.”

 

“Okay.” She smiled at him shyly. 

 

Mickey had a sad frown on his face. “You're never going to stay, are you?”

 

Rose turned to him to explain, “There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to.”

 

Jackie just rolled her eyes. “Well, I reckon you're mad, the three of you. It's like you go looking for trouble.” 

 

The Doctor ignored the twinge he felt at the reference to Hermione. He glanced over out of the corner of his eye and saw her hastily wiping a few tears from her cheeks. He forced a smile and told Jackie, “Trouble's just the bits in-between. It's all waiting out there, Jackie, and it's brand new to me. All those planets, and creatures and horizons. I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes. And it is going to be fantastic.” 

 

He held out his hand to Rose, pretending he didn’t hear the small sniffle from the petite witch standing back from them. 

 

Rose looked warily at his hand. “That hand of yours still gives me the creeps.” But she took hold of it anyway. “So, where're we going to go first?”

 

Looking up at the sky he considered the unlimited options. Finally, he pointed, “Er, that way. No, hold on. That way.”

 

Rose stepped closer under the guise of seeing where he was pointing and snuggled into his side. “That way?” she asked, pointing.

 

He smiled down at her and hummed an affirmative. Words failed him with the chill in his chest. Off to the side Hermione felt another strand of the bond snap. 

  
  



	8. New Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Thanks go to Krystle for helping me decide on what song to use! And thank you to all the people who have favorited and followed this for being so patient! I was supposed to have this chapter posted a few days ago, but last week was crazy with sick grandmas and job interviews. I start work in just over a week and I’m hoping to have the last two chapters finished and posted by then! So I’ll be writing like crazy this week. I’m aiming to have Chapter 9 up on Thursday, and Chapter 10 next Monday. We’ll play it by ear but that’s my goal!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
>  
> 
> Episode Spoilers: New Earth S2E2

 

**Rejected Bonds - Chapter 7, New Earth**

  
  
  


It was Boxing Day, and the Doctor, Hermione, and Rose were preparing to leave. While the Doctor was inside powering up the TARDIS, Hermione and Rose were saying their goodbyes to Jackie and Mickey. As Jackie was making sure Rose had a huge pack with everything she would need, Hermione and Mickey were off to the side. Hermione hugged her first friend tightly, fighting off tears. The last few days had been utterly wretched, and this goodbye was harder than it should have been. “Are you okay Minnie Mouse?”

 

She pulled back to look into his concerned brown eyes. He could tell she was struggling to stay strong and just hugged her tighter. “I’m okay Mickey, or I will be. Promise.”

 

“Well don’t you forget about me again, alright?”

 

“Never.” She then turned and ignoring the glare Rose was shooting at her, hugged her aunt Jackie quickly and promised to keep in touch in the future. 

 

Both girls entered the TARDIS and Rose dropped her pack on the floor and raced to the Doctor. “So where are we going?”

 

“Further than we've ever gone before,” he replied with a smile. His smile faltered a bit when he saw Hermione leave to go to her room. He still had a small ache in his chest but dismissed it as guilt. Hermione had proven to be a good friend, but he was determined that Rose was the one who held his hearts. 

 

Soon Hermione had rejoined the pair, having checked on the wards surrounding her time turner. As she entered the console room the TARDIS landed and they all stepped outside the doors to a sunny, breezy day, next to a body of water across from a large city with flying cars going by. 

 

“It's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87 and this? This is New Earth.”

 

Rose was stuttering in amazement, “That's just. That's just-”

 

“Not bad. Not bad at all,” he said grinning at the blonde. 

 

“That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?”

 

“Apple grass,” he replied, taking a sniff. 

 

Rose was grinning in happiness. “It's beautiful. Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it.”

 

He smiled back sappily at her, “Me too. Come on,” and he ignored the tug in his chest as Hermione locked the doors and hastily wiped away a tear. 

 

Hermione conjured up a blanket for the trio to sit on and admire the view. She wasn’t sure why she was out here and not back in her room, but she also didn’t feel like hiding out in the TARDIS for the next several days. She was no coward, and just because the Doctor didn’t want her around anymore didn’t mean she would deny herself the last experiences like these that she may ever have. She didn’t have much to say, so she just quietly listened to their conversation and watched the hustle and bustle of the vibrant city. 

 

“So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted.”

 

“That was our first date,” Rose chimed, glancing at the stiffening of Hermione’s shoulders out of the corner of her eye. 

 

The Doctor smiled happily in remembrance. “We had chips. So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in.”

 

“What's the city called?”

 

“New New York.”

 

“Oh, come on,” Rose snorted in disbelief. 

 

“It is. It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. What?” Rose was looking at him funny. 

 

“You're so different,” she murmured quietly. 

 

“New New Doctor,” he laughed. 

 

“Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?”

 

Standing up he then helped Rose up and they straightened their clothes. Hermione vanished the blanket and the Doctor pointed to a pair of buildings nearby. “Well, I thought we might go there first.”

 

“Why, what is it?”

 

“Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this. A message on the psychic paper.” 

 

He showed the girls the message, which just said: “Ward 26 Please Come.”

 

Closing it and putting it in his pocket he said, “Someone wants to see me.” 

 

Rose hummed in agreement, “Hmm. And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on, then.”

 

Hermione thought the writing looked familiar but then dismissed it.  _ There was no way he was in the year five billion! Right? _

 

As they entered the hospital reception, the Doctor lamented the lack of a little shop. Hermione laughed and smiled, remembering his love of little shops from their adventure in the Library. Now she wasn’t sure that would even happen and the thought sobered her quickly. He looked at her curiously but decided not to ask. 

 

Rose was wondering aloud, “I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything.”

 

“The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war.”

 

Rose and Hermione finally noticed the passing nursing staff, dressed in nun-like habits. But it was the faces that threw them the most. 

 

Rose stopped dead. “They're cats.”

 

“Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there.” 

 

The Doctor walked into a lift with Hermione following quickly after as she mumbled to herself, “At least I wasn’t the only cat person in the universe.” 

 

He told the computer to go to Ward 26, then turned to ask her what she meant but noticed that the doors to the lift closed before Rose could get on.

 

Rose was trying to get them to wait for her but he explained it was too late, as the lift started to rise. He shouted for her to watch out for the disinfectant but she didn’t hear him clearly. 

 

An automated voice spoke, “Commence stage one disinfection.” The pair were then drenched by a spray. The next stage was a blow dry and the Doctor and Hermione quickly flapped their clothes and ruffled their hair to get everything dried out. 

 

Stepping out of the lift they were soon escorted by a nurse. “Nice place. No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop,” the Doctor rambled. 

 

Nurse Jatt removed her veil to scold the man. “The hospital is a place of healing.”

 

“A shop does some people the world of good. Not me. Other people.”

 

“The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend.”

 

Hermione thought she was rather snooty for a cat, but then decided that was exactly like a cat. 

 

As they passed an open cubicle they observed the Duke of Manhattan who was sick with Petrifold Regression, but they were ushered away and assured he would be fine soon. 

 

The Doctor looked disbelievingly at the nurse. “I doubt it. Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue.”

 

Nuse Jatt just raised an eyebrow. “Have faith in the Sisterhood. But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient.”

 

Looking around the Doctor found who had called for him. “No, I think I've found him.”

 

He walked over to a large face in a container, by a window with a view of the city across the water. Hermione followed at a polite distance. 

 

Nurse Jatt addressed the nurse tending this strange patient, “Novice Hame if I can leave this gentleman in your care?”

 

Looking back at her he remembered Rose. “Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?”

 

“Certainly, sir,” she said with a nod, then left them alone. 

 

Novice Hame smiled sadly at Hermione and the Doctor. “I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or-”

 

He shook his head, “We met just the once on Platform One. What's wrong with him?”

 

“I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying.”

 

“Of what?”

 

“Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible,” she scoffed gently.

 

“Oh, I don't know. I like impossible,” he told her. Kneeling down next to the glass he whispered, “I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me, It's the Doctor.”

 

The nurse explained, “There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs.”

 

“Am I the only visitor?”

 

“The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself.”

 

“What does that mean?” the Doctor asked, bewildered. 

 

“It's just a story,” the nurse assured. 

 

“Tell me the rest.”

 

“It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely God.”

 

Unnoticed by the conversing pair, Hermione had gone up to the glass and gently put her palm upon it. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, curious to discover if she would hear anything. 

 

A familiar voice was singing softly,  _ My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard… _

 

With a gasp of surprise Hermione stepped back, biting her lip hard to keep from laughing! She recognised that song from her own time, and if by some chance this was who she thought it was, she could totally see that scoundrel singing such nonsense and it being attributed to as “ancient songs”. 

 

Soon the Doctor had Rose connected on a phone and was asking her how long it took to find Ward 26. They bantered back and forth and she was finally on her way up. 

 

As he hung up he saw the Duke of Manhattan looking completely recovered and thrilled. “Didn't think I was going to make it. It's that man again! He's my good luck charm. Come in. Don't be shy,” the Duke gestured. 

 

“Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract,” his aide hissed at them. 

 

“Winch me up. Up! Look at me. No sign of infection.”

 

“You had Petrifold Regression, right?”

 

“That being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured.”

 

“But that's impossible.”

 

Matron Casp spoke then, “Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science.”

 

Hermione grinned at bit at the mention of magic. It was always a secret thrill for her to hear magic mentioned and know it was real. 

 

“How on Earth did you cure him?”

 

“How on New Earth, you might say,” the cat said archly. 

 

“What's in that solution?”

 

“A simple remedy.”

 

“Then tell me what it is,” he insisted. 

 

“I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp.”

 

“I'm the Doctor.”

 

“I think you'll find that we're the doctors here,” she growled at him. She was called away to Intensive Care before they could continue their discussion. 

 

Rose finally found her way to the ward as the Doctor was going around to all the cubicles, curious now as to these seemingly miraculous cures. “There you are. Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one. Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?”

 

Rose arched an eyebrow. “I can't Adam and Eve it.”

 

Hermione and the Doctor both stopped in their tracks. He asked, mystified, “What's, what's, what's with the voice?”

 

“Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me,” Rose quipped. 

 

The Doctor shrugged. “Well, I can talk. New New Doctor.”

 

“Mmm, aren't you just.” She eyed him up and down and then pulled him in for a long, hard kiss, thoroughly messing up his hair. She pulled away and sauntered off, “Terminal's this way.”

 

The Doctor looked shocked and a bit dazed. Straightening his tie and ignoring the sharp pain in his chest he walked after Rose. “Yep still got it.”

 

Hermione, meanwhile, stood there and was trying very hard to keep from displaying any accidental magic. Her knees were locked to keep her upright and her spine was stiff. With a discreet sniffle, she wiped her cheeks to make sure no tears had betrayed her, then followed the pair.  _ I hope the time turner is ready soon. I can’t stand watching displays like that. _

 

By the time she caught up with them the pair had pulled up the schematics for the hospital, and were searching for the elusive ICU. The Doctor was eyeing Rose strangely when she mentioned looking for the sub-frame and trying the installation protocols, things Rose shouldn’t know anything about. After he used his sonic screwdriver on the interface, a wall slid away to reveal a hidden corridor. Rose led the way, but the Doctor hung back and whispered to Hermione, “I think there’s something wrong with Rose. Keep an eye on her, alright?” At her nod of agreement, they followed the blonde. 

 

Soon the trio found their way down a staircase, and along a corridor lined with cells. There were thousands of cells lining a hundred or more floors. Opening one at random, the Doctor and cousins looked upon an incredibly sick man. 

 

Rose scrunched her nose and sneered, “That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?”

 

The Doctor didn’t reply to her but looked the man in the eye with a sorrowful and sincere face. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” He closed the door and moved to the next and found a young woman in a similar state. 

 

Rose asked, “What disease is that?”

 

“All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything.”

 

Taking a step back in panic, the blonde worried, “What about us? Are we safe?”

 

“The air's sterile. Just don't touch them.”

 

“How many patients are there?”

 

“They're not patients,” he said in a flat voice. 

 

“But they're sick.”

 

“They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm.”

 

“Why don't they just die?” Rose wondered. 

 

“Plague carriers. The last to go.”

 

Novice Hame had come up behind them. “It's for the greater cause.”

 

Hermione stiffened at that familiar turn of phrase.  _ Oh how I hate the greater good, _ she spat viciously to herself. She glared at the cat nurse. 

 

The Doctor wasn’t looking very kindly upon her either. “Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?”

 

“The Sisterhood has sworn to help.”

 

“What, by killing?”

 

The cat shook her head. “But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence.”

 

“What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!” He was growing furious. 

 

The cat pleaded, “Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh.”

 

“These people are alive,” Hermione insisted. “You can’t just breed thousands of people for their flesh! It’s completely wrong!”

 

“But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us,” the nurse tried to defend. 

 

The Doctor shook his head, he agreed with Hermione. “If they live because of this, then life is worthless.”

 

“But who are you to decide that?” the nurse asked. 

 

“I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me.”

 

Rose had a shrewd look on her face. “Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?”

 

“We thought it best not,” Novice Hame admitted. 

 

“Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?”

 

The cat shook her head in confusion, “I don't know what you mean.”

 

“I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed.”

 

“We haven't done anything.”

 

“I'm perfectly fine,” Rose insisted. 

 

“These people are dying, and Rose would care,” he said, looking sternly at Rose. 

 

Rose, or whoever she was, shrugged her shoulders and sighed dramatically. “Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer.”

 

“What's happened to you?”

 

“I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“The last human,” she said pompously. 

 

“Cassandra?” the Doctor asked, amazed and horrified. 

 

“Wake up and smell the perfume,” she retorted as she squirted a spritz of perfume in his face, causing him to drop the floor passed out. 

 

Novice Hame exclaimed, “You've hurt him. I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron.”

 

“You do that because I want to see her. Now, run along. Sound the alarm!” Cassandra then pulled on a power cable and a series of alarms blared as the nurse ran off. She hadn’t noticed Hermione stepping back and pulling her wand on her. 

 

“Cassandra, step away from the Doctor. Now,” the curly-haired witch growled at her possessed cousin. 

 

“And why would I do that curly?” 

 

A man stepped around the corner, covered in sepia coloured tattoos and made to pick up the Doctor but Hermione quickly stunned him and again pointed her wand at Cassandra. “I. Said. Back. Off!” 

 

Cassandra’s eyes were huge as she stared at the other woman.  _ Well, I certainly picked the wrong one to use _ , she thought to herself. 

 

“Okay, okay, just don’t hurt Chip.”

 

Hermione soon had the Doctor revived and standing next to her. She did a quick scan over him to assure herself he was alright.  _ He may be an utter prat right now to me, but I couldn’t live with myself if I let him be hurt in front of me. _

 

He gave her a small smile and then addressed Cassandra. “You've stolen Rose's body. Just let Rose go, Cassandra.”

 

“I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Or, I’ll take that one right there, she’s powerful. And quite pretty.” 

 

The Doctor stepped in front of Hermione out of seemingly reflex. “No, you can’t have Hermione either, now get out of Rose!”

 

Soon Cassandra was confronted by a pair of cat nurses, Jatt and Casp. After they refused to concede to Cassandra's demands for bribes to keep quiet they tried to attack the blonde with their claws. In retaliation, and as a backup plan, she had Chip pull a lever that opened all the doors in the ICU, releasing thousands of diseased people. 

 

The Doctor stared in shock. “What've you done?”

 

“Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!” With that she ran off, dodging the lurching people. 

 

“Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!” he shouted at her as he ran after, avoiding the people lumbering around. 

 

Hermione raced after, casting an  _ impervious _ on her skin, the Doctor’s, and after a moment of hesitation casting it on Rose as well. She was still livid with her cousin for trying to kill her, and hurt that the Doctor was choosing her cousin over their bond, but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him by not protecting Rose to the best of her ability. Now they could be touched by the sick people, but there would be no contact, the charm stopping direct contact by approximately two millimetres. 

 

“Oh, my God,” Rose exclaimed in shock as she watched Jatt succumb to a touch, become disease ridden and die in moments. 

 

“One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down.” 

 

“But there's thousands of them!”

 

“Run! Down! Down! Go down!”

 

Hermione wanted to believe that the Doctor was just confident she could take care of herself, but she was more convinced he’d forgotten she was there at all. She was tempted to apparate back to the TARDIS and let he and Rose deal with this mess. But again, she couldn’t just abandon him like that, as much as she thought he deserved it. 

 

Down in the basement, Cassandra ran to the lifts and tried calling one, but the Doctor shook his head. “No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving.”

 

Thinking fast, Cassandra ran towards the lair she’d used while hiding out from the sisterhood. “This way!”

 

Chip was cut off from the group as more sick people approached, Hermione paused to go back for him but was stopped by the Doctor’s hand gripping her arm tightly. “Someone will touch him.”

 

Cassandra was ahead of them and shouted back, “Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!”

 

“Mistress!” Chip called out pitifully. 

 

The Doctor gave a sad glance to Chip, and then to Hermione. “I'm sorry, I can't let her escape.”

 

In the room of equipment, Cassandra ran to the back door but was blocked by even more people. “We're trapped! What am I going to do?”

 

The Doctor glared at her. “Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet. You're compressing Rose to death.”

 

“But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead,” she said, gesturing to the empty frame her skin had inhabited. 

 

“Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out. Give her back to me.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You asked for it.” She took a deep breath and blew energy out of Rose and into the Doctor. 

 

Rose swayed on the spot a bit. “Blimey, my head. Where'd she go?”

 

Cassandra was now inside the Doctor. “Oh, my. This is different.”

 

“Cassandra?” Rose asked uncertainly. 

 

“Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!”

 

“Get out of him,” Rose demanded. 

 

“Oh, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too. I've been inside your head. You've been looking. You like it,” she said with a disturbingly saucy wink of the Doctor’s brown eyes. 

 

As the diseased people burst in Hermione threw up a shield around them, to hold back the people for a short while. Cassandra was freaking out. “What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?”

 

They quickly decided to climb a ladder up and out of the basement. Cassandra shoved Rose and Hermione out of the way, worried more about her own safety. 

 

As they climbed the never ending ladder, Rose tried to reason with Cassandra. “If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something.”

 

“Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city.”

 

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Use the sonic screwdriver to open the door to the elevator shaft!”

 

“You mean this thing?” Cassandra said, holding the screwdriver like it might bite. 

 

“Yes, I mean that thing,” Hermione huffed at her. 

 

“Well, I don't know how. That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts.”

 

Rose was frustrated. “Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it. Do it!”

 

“Hold on tight,” the body snatcher said with a sigh. “Oh, chavtastic again. Open it!” this time she was speaking from Rose’s body. 

 

The Doctor growled at her, “Not till you get out of her.”

 

“We need the Doctor,” the blonde tried to explain. 

 

“I order you to leave her!” he demanded. 

 

With narrowed eyes, she considered her options. She took another deep breath and transferred herself once again, this time to Hermione. 

 

Cassandra could feel a difference while inhabiting Hermione from Rose. In Rose she was in complete control, Rose pushed and squeezed into a far corner, posing no problems to Cassandra’s control over the blonde’s body. With Hermione, however, she could tell that Hermione wasn’t compressed into a corner, but more or less equally sharing the space, but allowing Cassandra control over motor functions. She was unable to access Hermione’s memories, unlike Rose. It was like there was a wall in the brunette’s head. It was uncomfortable for Cassandra to feel rather compressed herself. 

 

The Doctor had a look of complete rage on his face. “Cassandra! Get out of Hermione right now!”

 

“You don’t want me in the blonde, you don’t want me in this one, where do you suggest I go?”

 

“I don’t care, just get out of her!”

 

Sighing dramatically, Cassandra prepared to transfer herself once again. This time back into the Doctor! 

 

Meanwhile, Rose had grabbed the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor and climbed up past him to try and get the doors open. 

 

Hermione watched warily as the Doctor seemed to be struggling with Cassandra for control. She knew her occlumency barriers would protect her from being compressed like Rose had been, so she was willing to host Cassandra if it would stop this back and forth bickering that was going to get them all killed. She saw the Doctor slump as he managed to expel Cassandra and prepared herself to share her body again. 

 

Back inside of Hermione once more, Cassandra was looking at the Doctor with a shrewd expression. Rose was still higher up the ladder, using the sonic screwdriver to attempt to open the doors to the elevator shaft, while the Doctor stared at Cassandra through Hermione’s familiar chocolate eyes. He was wary of what Cassandra seemed to have seen while inside of him. 

 

“Oh Doctor, you act so high and mighty, but really you’re just as cruel as the cats, aren’t you?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I saw in your mind, your memories. You’ve hurt this girl, quite badly, and you know it. And you don’t care at all, do you?” she sneered. 

 

He hated seeing such an expression on Hermione’s face. “I do too care!”

 

She smirked in triumph, knowing she’d been right! “I know, I just wanted her to hear that.”

 

“What? How? You’re compressing her like you did Rose!”

 

“No, I’m not. She’s present and accounted for, just allowing me control. It’s like there’s a wall, but she’s just as aware of what we’re saying as you are right now. And she can see what I saw in your mind. She knows what you really think of her now, Doctor.” She smiled viciously. 

 

The Doctor went pale at that.  _ Bugger _ . 

 

Meanwhile, Hermione was glancing through the memories and thoughts that Cassandra had scavenged from the Doctor’s mind.  _ It doesn’t matter Cassandra, sure he cares, but he only cares about my ability to be useful to them. To protect Rose. He doesn’t want anything to do with me. _ She then showed Cassandra her memory of only yesterday, where he’d told her he wanted her to go and that time could be rewritten. She felt Cassandra wince in sympathy and send her the equivalent of a mental hug. 

 

The Doctor watched as Hermione’s face went through a rapid series of contortions, wondering what they were communicating with each other. He had a feeling of dread as her face cleared and Cassandra sneered meanly at him from Hermione’s usually kind face. “You don’t deserve what you’ve been given. Now get us out of here.” 

 

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. They soon climbed up the last bit of ladder and out into the waiting room where Rose had finally got the doors opened. They were once again in Ward 26 and were attempting to prove they were free of infection to the group blocking and guarding the doors to the ward. “Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead. So how's it going up here? What's the status?”

 

The Doctor didn’t notice as Cassandra transferred back to Rose from Hermione once more. She was unused to feeling sympathy for other people, and the young woman’s anguish over this situation with the Doctor was too much for her. So she gladly escaped back to a body she could dominate. 

 

The Duke’s aide quickly filled him in, “There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad.”

 

“You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine.”

 

“I am not dying in here.”

 

“We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There are ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!”

 

“Not if it gets me out,” she insisted. 

 

“All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!” 

 

As everyone grabbed the drip bags from the entire ward the Doctor was collecting a long piece of rope and wrapping it in a coil to hang from his body. 

 

“How's that? Will that do?” he asked, thinking he was talking to Rose. 

 

“I don't know. Will it do for what?” 

 

He groaned when he realised it was Cassandra, again, but wasn’t up to arguing the issue more. He looked around frantically for a moment and found Hermione sitting against the Face of Boe’s glass, refusing to make eye contact with him. Cringing at what she might have seen from his mind via Cassandra he decided to leave her here to guard the people on the ward while he insisted that Cassandra come with him to sort out this mess. With a leap, he grabbed onto the lift cable, and after some coaxing, Cassandra jumped onto his back to join him. One last glance at Hermione, he saw her wiping a tear from her face. He clenched his jaw and the pair dropped down the shaft, loaded down with rope and all the medicine from the ward. 

 

Hermione watched from her spot on the floor, ignoring the urge to follow him. She was too distraught from the past few days to bring herself to get up, especially with the confusing images she’d seen from Cassandra. Because she was so upset and stressed her mental shields weren’t up to their full strength. 

 

_ Kitten, _ she heard a whisper in her mind. 

 

Shocked out of her melancholy she looked around, finally turning and noticing the Face of Boe was awake!

 

_ Hello? Was that you? _ He smiled in response and she heard a warm hum of acknowledgement in her mind. 

 

_ Oh my, um, you wanted to speak with the Doctor, right? He’s just gone off to save the day, hopefully. But I’m sure he’ll be back soon! _

 

_ No no no, it’s okay kitten. I wanted to speak with you, too. I was hoping you would be with him, but I wasn’t sure. I would have sent you a message on the psychic paper but ours only connected when I had physical possession of it. As you can see I can’t exactly hold it anymore, _ he thought wryly. 

 

Hermione was gaping at him. She shut her mouth with an audible click and stared intently at the Face of Boe.  _ Jack? _

 

He grinned at her and his eyes twinkled in a way that was entirely familiar. 

 

_ Oh my Merlin! How? What? When? OH MY GOSH!!!  _

 

He just chuckled in her mind in response. 

 

_ I mean, I had a feeling it was you, you were singing Milkshake in your sleep, _ she told him mentally, shaking her head and grinning at him.  _ How did this happen? Just how old are you?  _

 

_ So so old kitten. I remember I told you I couldn’t die, do you remember that? _

 

_ Yes, that was yesterday for me.  _

 

_ Oh _ , he said with a soft, sad look in his eyes.  _ Then you haven’t gone back to your time yet, you’re still waiting for the time turner to be repaired. _

 

She nodded, a small sniffle escaping. 

 

_ I’m so sorry kitten, I know it’s hell right now. It gets better, though, I promise. I was there for some of it! It won’t always be like this my sweet kitten.  _

 

_ But Jack, he doesn’t want me anymore. He wants to change time and have nothing to do with me! He told me himself! It hurts so bad, _ she cried, clutching her chest and leaning against the glass. She wished desperately that he could take her and hold her but that was impossible. 

 

_ I know, I know. And he’s going to regret it, trust me. _ He said this with a bit of a mental growl and it brought the tiniest bit of a smile to her face. It was nice that he was protective of her.  _ I have an important message for the Doctor, and for you as well, but it will have different meanings for both of you. I’m going to see him again, once more, before I finally pass on, but this is going to be the last time I see you.  _

 

_ No!  _ She didn’t want this to be their final meeting. 

 

_ Kitten, this isn’t the last time you’ll see me, just the last time that I’ll see you. So don’t cry. You still have your entire future to look forward to, and I PROMISE that it gets better and that you’ll see me again soon. So cheer up, I’ve always hated seeing you cry.  _

 

She wiped her tears away, understanding that this wasn’t a goodbye on her end, yet. But that didn’t make it hurt much less. She loved Jack. The Doctor might be her soulmate, but Jack was just as important and vital to her heart.  _ I understand, Jack. What’s your message?  _

 

_ You are not alone. Remember that kitten, you are not alone. Never. Got it?  _

 

She pondered his meaning, he’d implied it was the same message for both her and the Doctor but with different meanings for each, but smiled. It was a comforting notion. She nodded and sent him the mental equivalent of a kiss.  _ I love you, Jack, remember that. You’re just as important to me as he is, and I look forward to seeing the younger you again soon. I wish you well on your final journey and hope you finally find peace. I’m sure it’s been a very very long time coming.  _

 

_ Thank you, Hermione. It’s been far longer than I’d even care to admit or remember, but seeing you once more makes all the waiting and loneliness worth it. I love you too, always have. _

 

She’d placed her hand upon the glass once more and was smiling fondly at her dear friend when the Doctor ran up from the lifts. 

 

“The Face of Boe! You were supposed to be dying,” he commented, looking between Hermione and Boe, wondering what they’d been talking about. 

 

“There are better things to do today. Dying can wait,” he broadcast telepathically to the Doctor, Hermione, and Rose/Cassandra. 

 

“Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face,” Cassandra complained. 

 

The Doctor shushed her, and Hermione gave her a sharp look, warning her to be quiet. 

 

“I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew.”

 

“There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old.”

 

“There are? That would be impossible.” When the Doctor glanced away he quickly winked at Hermione who smiled. 

 

“Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me.”

 

“A great secret,” the Face confirmed. 

 

“So the legend says.”

 

“It can wait.”

 

“Oh, does it have to?” the Doctor whined. Hermione couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

“We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day.” With that, he beamed away. 

 

The Doctor rocked back on his heels and whistled. “That is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic. And now for you,” he turned towards Cassandra. 

 

“But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?”

 

“You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra.”

 

“I don't want to die,” she cried. 

 

“No one does.”

 

“What if I shared Hermione?” she asked, looking over at the witch. Then she shook her head. “Nevermind, sorry love, you’re sweet but it would be too painful you poor thing.”

 

Hermione grimaced but didn’t argue that she was in pain. The Doctor felt like ice had settled in his chest but just frowned at Cassandra. 

 

Chip chose then to shuffle up to the group. “Mistress!”

 

“Oh, you're alive.”

 

“I kept myself safe for you, mistress,” he said, staring at her in awe. 

 

She looked at him consideringly. “A body. And not just that, a volunteer.”

 

The Doctor frowned. “Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own.”

 

“But I worship the mistress. I welcome her,” Chip declared proudly. 

 

“You can't, Cassandra, you-” But she’d already done it and Rose collapsed into his arms. He made sure she was okay while Cassandra was looking at her new limbs. 

 

“Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle.”

 

The Doctor got Rose up with her feet under her and faced Cassandra again. “You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done.”

 

“Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last-” she fell to her knees with a gasp. 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

After a moment of consideration, she replied. “I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine.”

 

“I can take you to the city,” he offered. 

 

“No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good.”

 

He watched her for a moment before deciding. “Come on. There's one last thing I can do.”

 

Hermione apparated the group back to the TARDIS to save Cassandra-Chip the effort of the long walk back. The Doctor fiddled with the controls and they were soon travelling to a destination only he knew. 

 

The TARDIS had materialised out of sight at a party in a restaurant. The group exited and observed the party, only to see a younger Cassandra in her proper, fully human and 3-Dimensional original body conversing with a group of people. Cassandra-Chip was bundled warmly in a blanket that Hermione had kindly conjured for her and turned to the Doctor to thank him. 

 

He looked at her with a face that was stern, pitying, and yet sympathetic. “Just go. And don't look back.”

 

Rose wished her luck, and Hermione gave Cassandra a quick hug and whispered encouragement to her. 

 

The Doctor and Rose returned to the TARDIS, but Hermione stayed for a moment, watching Cassandra-Chip approach the younger Cassandra, compliment her, and collapse. With a sad sigh, she returned to the TARDIS and ignored the questioning look the Doctor was giving her. 

 

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to even say. Did he want to ask if she was alright? Ask about what Cassandra had shown her? In the end, he decided to let it go. She would be gone soon. He watched as she left the console room for her own room and ignored the tug of pain that was becoming nearly constant and turned to hug Rose. 

 

“I’m glad you’re back”

 

“Me too, Doctor.”

  
  



	9. Tooth and Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I’m getting excited! This is the second to last chapter! Last chapter will be up on Monday, I hope! I’m going to start writing it later today and my muse is excited.
> 
> Thanks to Krystle, Jesh, and Beka for helping me flesh out my werewolf headcanon, and the royal family headcanon.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
> 
> Episode Spoilers: Tooth and Claw S2E3

 

**Rejected Bonds - Chapter 8, Tooth and Claw**

  
  


[Tardis]

 

It was a week after the events on New Earth, and Hermione had managed to avoid the Doctor and Rose by and large. She’d stayed in her room, monitored the progress of the time turner repair, and researched how to make it go forward in time instead of just back. She had some solid theories and ideas, but without magical texts to verify some of her equations and suppositions she couldn’t be sure. 

 

The TARDIS had a phenomenal library but was sorely lacking in magical texts. The fairly expansive library she carried in her beaded bag was certainly useful, but unfortunately didn’t seem to have the tomes she needed. No matter, she’d be able to find them when she returned to her proper time in a few days time. She had considered asking the Doctor to make a trip to the Library, but decided against it, not wanting to potentially deal with the Vashta Narada again, plus the place held bittersweet memories now. Best to wait. 

 

The TARDIS kindly hummed to her to let her know the Doctor was approaching her room with the intention of speaking to her. She was really going to miss the sentient ship. The ship seemed upset with the Doctor, and the past week she had refused to cooperate fully when he’d picked places to go and things to see. She would most frequently land in the slightly wrong time, just to spite him. He couldn’t understand what she was so upset over but hoped that it would clear up and his ship would behave, for the most part, once Hermione left. 

 

A knock on the door had Hermione opening it, staring blankly at the Doctor. He fidgeted and finally asked her to join himself and Rose. “I figured the time turner will be ready soon, and why not have one more adventure with us, just for old time’s sake?” he asked slightly sheepishly. Truth was, over the last week he’d realised he did actually have a connection to Hermione. He could feel what he was assuming was a fraction of her pain, and was appalled to think of what the full scope of it must be like. But he was still unconvinced he was her soulmate or vice versa. She was a human, and a Time Lord just couldn’t have a human for a soulmate as far as he knew. There really wasn’t much about it in the TARDIS library, and if he stopped off on a planet to find out more information Rose would start to wonder and get jealous. 

 

He was aware the blonde got jealous easily, especially of her cousin, and he was trying to keep the peace the best he could. He’d missed having Hermione around the last week, but he couldn’t admit that to either girl, for various reasons. 

 

So despite acknowledging there was some kind of a connection between them, he continued to ignore it. He wanted Rose. He’d been in love with her for so long now, since soon after he’d met her really, that he just couldn’t fathom not spending the rest of her life together. 

 

“Well, I guess that depends on where we’re going,” the witch replied to his question. 

 

“I’m aiming for 1979. TARDIS has been acting up to I’m not sure where we’ll land, but that’s the general time I’m looking for, then see what we find. What do you say?” 

 

She looked at him for so long he thought for sure she was going to say no and close the door in his face, but finally, she nodded slowly. “Alright, one more hurrah. The time turner should be ready to enchant tomorrow.” 

 

He swallowed and they agreed to meet in the console room in ten minutes. 

 

Hermione summoned a long dress with sleeves from the Wardrobe Room, wanting to be prepared for any number of different weather possibilities, and met the others in the console room. Rose walked in at the same time from her rooms dressed in denim mini-dungarees. 

 

“What do you think of this? Will it do?” Rose asked the Doctor.

 

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this.” He put a CD into the player and a punk song started playing, causing Rose and Hermione to both laugh at him. 

 

Soon the TARDIS had landed and the trio headed towards the doors. “1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb,” he rambled as they stepped out. “And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to-” the sound of rifles being cocked distracted him, “my thumb.” He looked at the Redcoats that surrounded them and raised his hands, the girls following suit. “1879. Same difference.” 

 

The officer on a horse demanded, “You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl,” referring to Rose’s short skirt.

 

The Doctor quickly switched to an almost natural Scottish accent, “Are we in Scotland?”

 

“How can you be ignorant of that?” the officer demanded. 

 

“Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?”

 

Rose nodded. “Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot.”

 

He looked at her pityingly and shook his head. “No, don't do that.”

 

“Hoots mon.”

 

“No, really don't. Really.” He was embarrassed for her. 

 

“Will you identify yourself, sir?” the officer questioned. 

 

“I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. I have my credentials, if I may.” He took his psychic paper out of a pocket and held it up for the soldiers and officer to see. “As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself.”

 

A posh voice with an upper-class English accent came from a nearby carriage and asked for the group to approach. The officer, Reynolds, advised against it, but the voice insisted. 

 

Reynolds straightened on his horse. “You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference.”

 

Hermione knew from history classes who to expect in the carriage if they really were in 1879, but the Doctor turned to Rose. “Rose, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith.”

 

Rose’s eyes widened and she gave a slight curtsy, “Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked.”

 

Queen Victoria merely raised an eyebrow. “I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials.” He handed it over immediately and she read it. “Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector, along with your assistant, a Miss Granger. You are she I presume?” she asked of Hermione. 

 

The Doctor was surprised. “Does it? Yes, it does. Good. Good. Then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?”

 

“A tree on the line.”

 

“An accident?” he asked doubtfully. 

 

“I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned.”

 

“An assassination attempt?”

 

Rose was shocked. “What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?” Hermione wanted to cringe at her cousin’s use of language, but refrained and kept a passive face. 

 

“I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun,” the Queen replied. 

 

Officer Reynolds interrupted as politely as possible. “Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow.”

 

Victoria addressed her officer, “This Doctor, his assistant, and his timorous beastie will come with us.”

 

“Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall.”

 

“Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!”

 

The trio walked a bit behind the carriage with the soldiers and Rose and the Doctor were chatting quietly. “It's funny, though, because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her,” Rose commented. 

 

“1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!” the Doctor exclaimed excitedly. 

 

“I know!”

 

“What a laugh!”

 

Rose was excited. “I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it.”

 

“Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of a traveller in time.”

 

“Ten quid?”

 

“Done.”

  
  


Hermione just rolled her eyes at them and kept wondering what the Queen had meant by wolves and why it was so important for them to be inside before nightfall.  _ They surely couldn’t have meant werewolves? _

 

A few hours later they had reached the courtyard of a fairly sizable country estate. Hermione noted that the sign above the entranceway said Torchwood, and wondered if there was a connection the organisation Jack worked for in the future. With a jolt, she remembered that Jack had been stuck in 1869 when his vortex manipulator burnt out and wondered where he was and what he was currently doing in this time period. Her thoughts were interrupted by a man coming forward to greet the Queen. 

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?”

 

“She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on.”

 

“Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl.”

 

Rose apologised once more for her lack of proper dress, and the Doctor elaborated on his tale a bit. “She's a feral child. I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It's was her or the Elephant Man, so-”

 

Rose glared at him but cut him off. “Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused. What do you think, Ma'am?” she asked, addressing Victoria. 

 

The Queen barely even twitched an eyebrow. “It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?”

 

“So close,” Rose whispered to the Doctor. 

 

As her Majesty went inside, Reynolds was instructing two of his soldiers to take a box inside. 

 

“So what's in there, then?” the Doctor inquired. 

 

Reynolds stiffened. “Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir. The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions.”

 

As they all went inside Hermione reflected on the odd looking servants of Sir Robert, and the man’s own reluctance to allow them to stay the night. She decided it would be best to stay on her guard. Something didn’t feel right. 

  
  
  
  


[Observatory]

 

The Doctor and cousins followed Victoria on a brief tour of the house, which ended in an observatory. The Queen was impressed. “This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour,” she said, gesturing to a truly massive bronze telescope. 

 

Sir Robert elaborated to the group, “All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself.”

 

Both the Doctor and Hermione were in awe of the beautiful workmanship and ingenuity. “I wish I'd met him. I like him. That thing's beautiful. Can I?” he inquired, gesturing towards the eyepiece. 

 

“Help yourself.”

 

“What did he model it on?”

 

“I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories.”

 

After looking through the eyepiece and fiddling with the adjustments a bit, the Doctor stood up, frowning. “It's a bit rubbish. How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's kind of stupid,” he paused and looked to Rose, “Am I being rude again?”

 

She smiled and nodded. “Yep.”

 

The Doctor shrugged. “But it's pretty. It's very pretty.”

 

Queen Victoria was still admiring the telescope in whole. “And the imagination of it should be applauded.”

 

Rose saw an opportunity. “Mmm. Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No?”

 

The Queen merely looked at Rose rather blankly. “This device surveys the infinite work of God. What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales.”

 

The Doctor smiled at that. “Stars and magic. I like him more and more.”

 

Hermione was smiling too. She’d quite enjoyed Astronomy class even if she hadn’t continued it after O.W.Ls, and of course she was partial to magic. 

 

“Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company. Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe-Coburg. When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported.”

 

“So, what's this wolf, then?” the Doctor asked, insatiably curious. 

 

“It's just a story,” Robert tried to deflect. 

 

“Then tell it.”

 

“It's said that-” but he was interrupted by a bald, strange looking servant. 

 

“Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark.”

 

“Of course. Yes, of course,” Robert conceded. 

 

Victoria stood even straighter. “And then supper. And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness.”

 

“It's not amusing, is it?” Rose tried once more, putting emphasis into her words. Hermione rolled her eyes and even the Doctor cringed a bit at the attempt. 

 

“Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight.”

 

“So there is, Ma'am.”

 

Hermione got a chill at the news of the full moon. This was going to be an interesting dinner, she was sure. 

  
  
  
  


[Dining room]

 

The Doctor, Hermione, Reynolds, Robert, and Queen Victoria were all assembled in the dining room when the strange servant, Angelo, apologised for Rose’s absence, citing clothing difficulties. 

 

After a bit of witty banter, the Queen finally told Robert, “Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters.”

 

“The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and devoured.”

 

Officer Reynolds scoffed, “Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that.”

 

Robert protested, “But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead.”

 

Hermione and the Doctor were both very interested at this point, for slightly different reasons. The Doctor asked, “Are there descriptions of the creature?”

 

“Oh, yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal.”

 

“A werewolf?” he asked, somewhat sceptically. 

 

Hermione managed to hide her gasp. She’d done extensive research on werewolves. Doing the math quickly in her head, the tales would have begun around 1579 or earlier, according to Roberts, which eerily coincided with the first recordings of werewolves in the magical world. 

 

Roberts continued, “My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened. His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations.”

 

Victoria postulated, “Perhaps they thought his work ungodly.”

 

Robert agreed, “That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?”

 

The Doctor noticed that Hermione had gone pale and was staring at Angelo who was chanting in front of a window. When he finally heard the words of the chant, “lupus deus est” he went a bit pale as well. “And what if they were with us right now?”

 

“I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife.”

 

The Doctor’s eyes went wide and he leapt from his chair in a panic. “Rose! Where's Rose? Where is she? Sir Robert, come on!”

 

Hermione paused long enough in the room to hear what Angelo claim they wanted, the crown. She bit her lip in worry as she raced to catch up to the Doctor who was flying down the stairs towards the cellar. 

 

The Doctor and Robert had just managed to kick in the door to the cellar when she caught up to them, and she heard Rose shout at the Doctor, “Where the hell have you been?”

 

Soon they were all in the gun room and the Doctor had locked the door to the cellar with his sonic screwdriver, and Hermione had locked it with magic to give them more time. He used his screwdriver to release the shackles from all of the previous captives while guns were being handed out to all of the men. 

 

The Doctor was racking his brain, trying to think of what kind of creature they were facing. “It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?”

 

Rose piped up, “The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it.”

 

Hermione nodded and said that’s what she’d overheard in the dining room right after the Doctor had raced away. 

 

There was a loud crash as the wooden door finally gave way, and the Doctor went into the hallway to investigate. Seeing the werewolf at the other end he ran back in, grabbed Rose, and dragged her out of the way as the men all fired upon the beast. 

 

The Doctor stepped forward once more as the smoke cleared. “All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me.”

 

The steward of the house scoffed, however, “I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault.”

 

“I'm telling you, come upstairs!”

 

“And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall.” The steward stepped into the corridor and looked back at them, “It must have crawled away to die.”

 

However, that was the moment he was hoisted up to the ceiling and the sounds of snarling, screams, and ripping flesh filled the room. 

 

The Doctor ushered everyone out and up the stairs as quickly as possible. He was hunting for a way for them to escape the house but announced his discovery to the group when they ran across the Queen on the staircase, “The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window.”

 

As they piled into a nearby drawing room Robert stepped forward. “Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress.”

 

“A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh.”

 

The Doctor was getting impatient and reverted back to his previous London accent from his faux Scottish lilt, “Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?”

 

As Robert opened a window the monks outside opened fire and he quickly scrambled back. 

 

Victoria was outraged, “Do they know who I am??”

 

Rose spoke up then, “Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a, a biting.”

 

“Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf.” But the Queen was disturbed to hear a haunting howl echo throughout the house. 

 

Rose turned to the Doctor, “What do we do?”

 

“We run.”

 

“Is that it?”

 

“You got any silver bullets?”

 

“Not on me, no,” the blonde shook her head. 

 

“There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Come on!”

 

They headed up the staircase as quickly as possible for such a large group, but the sound of the werewolf smashing its way out of obstacles and following them made him urge them to go faster. 

 

They were in the corridor outside the library when Rose shoved into Hermione, knocking her down while the rest of the group hurried into the room and shut the doors. Hermione was left sitting in a daze from the knock to the back of her head connecting with the wall behind her.  _ I’d bet anything that was on purpose!  _

 

Livid at her cousin, and seeing the werewolf rounding the corner she thought fast. She could hear the door being barricaded and knew they wouldn’t have time to move the furniture and get her inside, so she twisted sharply and appeared in the library with a loud crack, startling the occupants. 

 

Inside the room she spotted her cousin and stalked over to her, hair sparking in her fury. “You vicious little blonde harpy!” In a flash, she had Rose pinned the wall, wand at her throat and fire in her eyes. The Doctor panicked, not having seen what happened because he’d been barricading a second entry into the room with Robert but he threw himself between the girls and shoved Hermione backwards. “Oh sure, take up for her, again. She’s only tried to kill me twice now, but I suppose that would make you happy, wouldn’t it Doctor?” she snapped at him viciously to hide the recoil of pain in her chest. More of the bond had snapped when he’d defended her cousin. 

 

“Now hold on a minute there, Hermione! I’m sure it was just an accident. Rose would never try to hurt you.” He couldn’t see Rose smirking behind him, but he felt a sharp tug in his chest when Hermione stepped back further, lowering her wand and shaking her head. 

 

“No, I get it. Let’s just try and sort this out and then I’m gone. I’m done with you, Doctor.”

 

He felt like he’d been stabbed with ice, but dismissed it, checking on Rose who suddenly had a fearful and teary-eyed expression. She really had feared for her life for a moment when Hermione had confronted her, but she was elated when the Doctor defended her. 

 

They heard sounds from outside of the room, snuffling and scratching. Rose was confused, “I don't understand. What's stopping it?”

 

“Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?” the Doctor wondered aloud. 

 

“I'll tell you what, though,” Rose said, breaking into a smile. 

 

“What?”

 

“Werewolf!” she laughed. 

 

“I know. You all right?”

 

“I'm okay, yeah,” she assured him. 

 

Sir Robert was attempting to apologise to the Queen, though. “I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?”

 

The Doctor couldn’t resist saying, “Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy.”

 

Rose couldn’t help herself either, “I'll tell you what, though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now.”

 

“Do you think this is funny?” Queen Victoria snapped. Hermione silently agreed that they were being childish as she glowered at her cousin from across the room. 

 

“No, Ma'am. I'm sorry,” Rose mumbled sheepishly. 

 

“What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?”

 

The Doctor thought it best to explain. “You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform.”

 

The Queen glared at him. “And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?”

 

“Oh right, sorry, that's-” But Her Majesty wouldn’t let him finish. 

 

“I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world.” 

 

Hermione stepped forward and addressed the Queen as politely as possible. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but you’re familiar with the magical world, correct?”

 

Victoria shrewdly sized up the curly-haired woman in front of her. “Yes, I am. What of it?”

 

“Well, ma’am, there are werewolves in the magical world as well. The ones I’ve encountered are a bit different, but they exist, and I’m sure the Ministry gave you a briefing on at least the basics of our world, and if they hadn’t mentioned werewolves I’d be very surprised.”

 

“True, but where is your ministry now? Aren’t your kind supposed to deal with this sort of thing?”

 

“You’re right, ma’am, and I don’t know what’s happening here, but I intend to find out.”

 

“Do.”

 

The Doctor was shocked that apparently, the Queen knew of the magical world. He sidled up to Hermione, completely forgetting that she was upset with him to ask about it. She put aside her anger to explain how the Queen had the knowledge she did. 

 

“The Statute of Secrecy was enacted in 1692, and since then the magical world has made a point of only telling heads of state the secret, for diplomacy and collaboration issues mainly. So as reigning Queen she would have been informed soon after her coronation, just like the Prime Minister is when they’re elected.”

 

“Oh, well I suppose that makes sense.”

 

“Plus, historically, squibs from high ranking pureblood families were sometimes married into royal lines in order for the purebloods to retain power in both worlds more or less legitimately when the wizarding world went into hiding. So chances are she has family who are either married to or descended from a squib somewhere. I can’t recall her entire family tree right now but I know there were several squibs married into the more minor branches of the British royal families.” 

 

He nodded in understanding, and once her explanation was over she once again turned her back on him, still angry. As the Doctor went over to Robert to figure out why the wolf wouldn’t enter the library, Hermione started looking through the books lining the shelves. It was soon determined that the monks had trained the wolves to at least think they were allergic to mistletoe as a way of controlling them. It was doubtful they were actually sensitive to the substance, but there was a lot to be said for the power of suggestion and generations of training. 

 

The group was soon looking through the books, trying to learn about the creatures. Finally, the Doctor found a book that seemed the have the information they were hunting for. “Something fell to Earth.”

 

“A spaceship?” Rose asked.

 

Robert shook his head. “A shooting star. It reads, ‘In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.’ That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery.”

 

Rose looked puzzled. “But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?”

 

The Doctor pursed his lips as he thought. “Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host.”

 

“But why does it want the throne?” Robert wanted to know.

 

“That's what it wants. It said so. The Empire of the Wolf,” Rose repeated what she’d been told while in the cellar. 

 

The Doctor’s eyes went wide. “Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake.”

 

As the rest of the group discussed the Koh-I-Noor Diamond that Queen Victoria wanted to be protected at all cost, Hermione was reading the passage in the book and doing some quick math in her head. If the Doctor was right, and only a single cell survived the crash, passing from host to host, eventually it may have met a magical host. The first records of werewolves in the magical world begun around the 1600’s, which fit the timeline. But why did this werewolf look more or less like an actual wolf, while magical werewolves looked so sickly? Perhaps, she mused, it was a mutation. The parasitic alien organism seemed to be looking for power if it’s goal of infecting the Queen was accurate. So maybe if it was satisfied with the inherent power of a magical person it no longer felt the need to take over the whole planet per se but was content with strengthening its power base by infecting more magicals. If so it was a more or less a weakened and mutated version of the original, which would explain why the two wolves appearances were so different.  _ Oh well, it’s an interesting theory and I’d like to look into it more when I get back to the Department of Mysteries, _ she thought to herself.  _ Maybe this will lead to a cure. _

 

She was pulled from her mental musings by the Doctor rambling again. “There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head. What if this house, it's a trap for you. Is that right, Ma'am?”

 

“Obviously,” Victoria said imperiously. 

 

“At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?”

 

“Explain yourself, Doctor.”

 

“What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf.”

 

Plaster dust fell upon them from the ceiling causing them to all look up at the domed skylight. What they saw was the werewolf carefully creeping across the glass. 

 

As they quickly ran out of the room, the glass cracked and the wolf crashed through. 

 

“Get to the observatory!” the Doctor shouted. 

 

Moments later the group were running through the doors to the observatory, which the Doctor quickly inspected. “No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?”

 

Robert stood tall, “Just do your work and I'll defend it.”

 

“If we could bind them shut with rope or something. Hermione! Can you magic them shut?”

 

She nodded but Robert insisted, “I said I'd find you time, Sir. Now get inside.”

 

Nodding at the man’s bravery, the Doctor simply told him, “Good man.”

 

They shut the doors and barricaded them with what little moveable furniture was in the room, and Hermione sealed the doors with magic, but it wouldn’t hold long against the incredible strength of the creature. 

 

“Your Majesty, the diamond,” the Doctor implored, holding out his hand. 

 

“For what purpose?”

 

“The purpose it was designed for.” 

 

After a moment she handed it over and the Doctor went over to the control wheels to start raising the telescope up, having Rose and Hermione help him. 

 

“Is this the right time for stargazing?” Rose asked, groaning from the strain of pushing the heavy wheel. 

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“You said this thing doesn't work,” Rose reminded the Doctor. 

 

“It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up.”

 

“It won't work. There's no electricity,” Rose complained. Looking out the top of the observatory at the full moon she figured it out finally, making Hermione wish her hands were free to at least elbow her cousin. “Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight.”

 

“You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on! Come on!”

 

As the moonlight shone down into the telescope lens, it bounced between the prisms in the chamber, magnifying each time. 

 

The werewolf finally broke down the doors and was lunging for the Queen when the Doctor slid the diamond over to where the light was hitting on the floor. As the light refracted upwards it caught the wolf in its beam, lifting it up. The light managed to purify the wolf back into a young man, who was hanging spread out in mid air. “Make it brighter. Let me go,” he pleaded sadly. 

 

The Doctor adjusted the eyepiece a bit, causing the man to turn back into a wolf that gave one last howl before it vanished into nothingness. 

 

Hermione saw Victoria looking at her wrist and approached the Queen. “Your Majesty? Did it bite you?”

 

“No, it's, it's a cut, that's all.”

 

The witch wasn’t convinced, and neither was the Doctor. “If that thing bit you-” he started. 

 

“It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing,” she insisted. 

 

“Let me see.”

 

“It is nothing.”

  
  
  
  


[Drawing room]

 

Later, in the morning, the Doctor, Rose, and Hermione kneeled before Queen Victoria in the drawing room, where the Queen was armed with a sword. 

 

“By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of TARDIS. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. By the power invested by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Hermione of Hogwarts. You may stand.”

 

“Many thanks, Ma'am,” the Doctor said with a small smile, honoured. 

 

Rose was in awe. “Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home.”

 

“Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave.”

 

She merely nodded slightly. “Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused.”

 

“Yes!” Rose whooped, Hermione glaring at her to shut her mouth. 

 

“Not remotely amused. And henceforth I banish you.”

 

“I'm sorry?” the Doctor asked, completely shocked. 

 

“I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you will survive this terrible life. Now leave my world, and never return.” 

  
  
  
  


[Highlands]

 

Out on the highlands once more, the trio got off the back of a cart they’d managed to hitch a ride on back to the TARDIS. 

 

The Doctor was still musing about their latest adventure. “No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was a haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere.”

 

Rose was attempting to keep her hair out of her face and mouth from the wind blowing. “What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?”

 

“Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism.”

 

“For werewolf?”

 

“Could be,” he shrugged.

 

Rose stopped and stared at him as Hermione opened the TARDIS doors with a wave of her wand. “Queen Victoria's a werewolf?”

 

“Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip.”

 

“So, the Royal Family are werewolves?”

 

“Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?”

 

Rose burst out laughing. “Nah, that's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne.”

 

“I'll say no more.”

 

“And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!” Rose exclaimed as they joined Hermione inside the TARDIS. “They love blood sports. Oh my, God, they're werewolves!”

 

Hermione shook her head in disgust at the pair as they howled and set the controls to go back into the vortex. Regardless if werewolves originated as an alien parasite, the people that were infected didn’t deserve to be mocked, in her opinion. She would always be a staunch supporter of those who had been discriminated against. Ignoring the laughing duo she returned to her rooms. 

 

A quick spell told her what she wanted to know. The T.A.R.D.I.S-turner was finally repaired! The protective containment spells had condensed once more to repair the cracks and it looked good as new. Now she had only to charm it once more as an unlimited portkey, and then ask the Doctor to take them to anywhere in the future from early August 2005, and then she could use her device to return to when and where she’d started this journey. 

 

She set the time turner back into its stand on the table of her lab and stood back. She had a bad feeling the backlash of casting the spell as the sole caster was going to be harsh, but it’s not like she had a choice. There were no other witches or wizards on board, and she wanted to get away from the Doctor as soon as possible. Pushing the torrent of thoughts and emotions away lest she be distracted she closed her eyes and centered herself for a moment.

 

With complicated wand motions, she focused all of her magic through her wand and chanted in a strong, sure voice,  “Portus spatium immoderatus!” She could feel her magic draining quickly, but she pushed harder, sweat beading across her forehead and upper lip. Her hair frizzed out wildly and her limbs began to shake under the strain. Finally, just when she thought she was going to fail, unable to cast the spell alone, the time turner glowed the bright blue of an active portkey. Success! She smiled proudly at her accomplishment before a rushing sound filled her ears and the edges of her vision darkened ominously.  _ Oh bugger _ , was her last thought as she collapsed in a graceless heap upon the hard floor. 

 

The TARDIS had been monitoring Hermione, of course, and panicked when the girl collapsed. Scans indicated she was unstable and needed attention immediately. Seeing that the Doctor was in the console room, alone and that Rose was off in her own rooms taking a shower, the ship mentally nudged the Doctor to get his attention. When he brushed it off she mentally shoved him so hard he actually swayed and clutched his head. “Blimey! What was that for?” As he sifted through the images his ship was showing him his face drained completely of blood and he ran down corridors as fast as he could, praying Hermione hadn’t warded the doors against him, or that if she had the TARDIS could open them anyways. 

 

Finally gaining access to her room, and then her lab next to it, he felt both of his hearts stutter at the sight of the witch sprawled in a heap. Her hair was a wild mess, but more worryingly she was pale as milk, clammy to the touch, and her pulse was weak and thready. He scooped her up, not even noticing the warmth that filled his chest as he did so, and ran with her to the infirmary. Scans indicated her electrolytes were dangerously low and he did what he could to stabilise her. Eventually, her breathing and heart beat regulated to something more akin to normal, and he collapsed into a chair next to the biobed and stroked the hand he was holding unconsciously. As his panic faded he felt his eyes growing heavy and ended up laying his head down on the bed next to his patient. He drifted off to sleep quickly, never letting go of her hand, no one awake to witness the small amount of golden energy Hermione exhaled in her sleep. 

 

It took almost an hour of looking because the TARDIS wasn’t cooperating when Rose would ask where the Doctor was, but she finally found him and her cousin in the infirmary. Her blood boiled and she saw red when she saw him holding Hermione’s hand, fast asleep, a worried crease between his eyes but a tiny smile upon his lips. 

  
  



End file.
